Rated
R (Language and Some Sexual Content)
Running
Time: 2 Hours & 3 Minutes
Cast-
Domhnall
Gleeson-Tim Lake
Rachel
McAdams-Mary
Bill
Nighy-Tim's Father
Lindsay
Duncan-Tim's Mother
Lydia
Wilson-Katherine/Kit Kat
Richard
Cordery-Uncle Desmond
Tom
Hollander-Harry Chapman
Joshua
McGuire-Rory
Will
Merrick-Jay
Margot
Robbie-Charlotte
Vanessa
Kirby-Joanna
Tom
Hughes-Jimmy Kincade
Directed
by Richard Curtis
 |
| Now to photoshop my face over Domhnall Gleeson's... |
Note: Screened on Thursday, October 17, 2013 at AMC Loews Orpheum 7.
In
Richard Curtis' latest film "About Time," twenty-one year old Tim
Lake learns from his father that he has the ability to travel back in time, a seemingly
genetic trait that all the men in the family have possessed. Tim initially
believes that he's being told a very bad joke but when he successfully travels
back to the New Year's Eve party the night before, the young man resolves to
use his newly-discovered gift to find his 'one true love.' Well, he doesn't put
it quite that eloquently. Instead, he bluntly says, 'To get a girlfriend,' prompting
his amused father to respond, 'Wow…massive.' His third and supposedly last feature
where he serves as director, "About Time" doesn't stray too far from
Curtis' wheelhouse, whose work has always existed in the realm of romantic
fantasy. Although his stories have been criticized for being nothing more than
insufferable, greeting card schmaltz, there's no denying that Curtis is in a
league of his own when it comes to scripting movies about love. The way he
blends sentimentality with unabashed sincerity allowed 1994's "Four
Weddings and a Funeral" and 1999's "Notting Hill" to become huge
successes at the worldwide box office. While it likely won't receive the same
critical and commercial acclaim of Curtis' earlier efforts, "About
Time" remains an irresistibly charming, funny, and earnest film that
overcomes its plot-hole ridden time-traveling tale with a winsome cast led by
Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams.
A
hopeless romantic who's always been 'too tall, too skinny, and too orange,' twenty-one
year old Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson) has otherwise had a pretty normal
childhood, growing up in a seaside abode at Cornwall, where he is surrounded by
his loving parents (Bill Nighy and Lindsay Duncan), his ditzy, free-spirited younger
sister 'Kit Kat' (Lydia Wilson), and his sweet but forgetful Uncle Desmond
(Richard Cordery). Summoned to his father's study one morning, Tim is informed
of a long-held family secret that's been passed down from father to son for
generations: the men in the family have the ability to travel back in time. Although
Tim believes his father is joking, he decides to humor him and asks how it is
done. First he must go to a dark place (i.e. a closet) and with his eyes closed
and fists clenched, visualize in his mind the exact moment he wants to go to.
Tim follows these instructions in an attempt to prove his father wrong but is
dumbfounded when he actually succeeds in traveling back to the New Year's Eve
party the night before. His father asks an astounded Tim about his plans
regarding his wondrous gift and he responds that he will use it to find the
love of his life. This is easier said than done and soon Tim, still single, is
moving away from Cornwall to pursue a career as a lawyer in London. His friend
Jay (Will Merrick) comes by for a visit one evening and drags him to a
restaurant where its customers eat in total darkness. While there, Tim meets
Mary (Rachel McAdams) and he immediately becomes enchanted by her beauty, even
though she doesn't see herself as very attractive. Working hard to win her heart
with the aid of his time-traveling abilities, Tim comes to realize that not
even his unique gift can prevent all the tragedies that can occur in one's
life.
At
first glance, "About Time" looks like a sappier repeat of 2009's
"The Time Traveler's Wife," which ironically also starred Rachel
McAdams, but besides having a male protagonist who has the inexplicable ability
to travel in time, both films are very different, especially in tone. Curtis'
picture has an optimistic, whimsical feel, even when it delves into more
dramatic territory and its sci-fi conceit is simply used as a not-so-subtle metaphor
for the story's themes. While Curtis establishes early on that Tim can only
time travel backwards and revisit events in his own life (you can't 'kill
Hitler or shag Helen of Troy' as his father humorously explains), it's best not
to think about the rules too much because frankly, it's rife with logic holes.
This is one of those times where you're going to have to just 'go along with
it' and suspend disbelief for two hours. If you can do that, you'll find
"About Time" to be a surprisingly good film that's unafraid to wear
its heart on its sleeve. A big part of its appeal is the characterization of Domhnall
Gleeson's Tim, who reminded me of myself. Skinny, awkward, and a hopeless
romantic, he's desperate to connect with the opposite sex but is too shy to do
so. During a New Year's Eve party hosted by Tim's parents, a pretty blonde
woman leans in for a kiss when the clock approaches midnight but he nervously shakes
her hand instead. Tim rectifies this mistake upon learning of his time
traveling abilities and resolves to use his gift to find the one girl that he
will spend the rest of his life with. Yes, it's all romantic make-believe yet
Curtis brings an irresistible earnestness to the material.
'The
girl' turns out to be Mary, played by Rachel McAdams. Their 'meet cute' moment
is absolutely adorable as the two are initially unaware of what the other looks
like. It's literally a 'blind' date since the restaurant they're in (London's Dans le Noir) requires its customers to dine
in total darkness. When they finally meet face-to-face outside, Tim knows at
that instant that she's 'the one' and of course, Mary just happens to be
American like in all of Curtis' previous films. Admittedly, she's not a
particularly well-developed character, with the story constantly putting her on
a pedestal. Tim achieves marital happiness just when his and Mary's plotline
begins to lose steam, allowing the writer/director to shift the focus toward Tim's
relationships with his sister and father. This is where the film's larger themes
begin to emerge and things take on a darker note as Tim desperately tries to
prevent a car accident that leaves Kit Kat hospitalized but he comes to realize
that even his time traveling abilities cannot erase all of life's tragedies.
Curtis, who made a name for himself by scripting light-hearted romantic
comedies, wants to reach the same philosophical depth along the lines of Michel
Gondry's "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and while he doesn't
quite pull it off with the same finesse, the final coda in "About
Time," that every moment in life should be savored regardless if you can
time travel or not, is delivered with beautiful sincerity and yes, I freely
admit feeling a tear well up in my eye during the film's final scenes.
The
delightful cast adds to the picture's charm, with Domhnall Gleeson (last seen
in "Anna Karenina") delivering a terrific performance as our lanky
time-traveling hero Tim. The character matures from a hormonal-driven dork to
responsible, working adult over the course of the film's running time but even
as Tim grows older, Gleeson always maintains a bumbling awkwardness that's both
sweet and endearing. Although her character is lacking in complexity, Rachel
McAdams instantly wins us over as the cute and affable Mary. In the words of Empire's Mark Dinning, the beautiful actress turns in 'another you'd-marry-her-in-a-heartbeat
performance.' The two leads are enormously appealing as a couple thanks
to their easy chemistry with each other but the real heart of the film doesn't
lie with the lovers, it lies with the father-son relationship that's
wonderfully brought to life by Gleeson and Bill Nighy. Understanding and
affectionate, Nighy plays one of the coolest dads to ever grace the big screen
this year, with the veteran actor effortlessly bringing a warm authenticity to
Tim's relationship with his father. The rest of the supporting cast are
outstanding as well and includes Lindsay Duncan as Tim's terse mother, Lydia
Wilson as the quirky Kit Kat, Richard Cordery as the eternally befuddled Uncle
Desmond, and Tom Hollander as Tim's curmudgeonly roommate/playwright Harry.
Already
out in the UK since September 4, "About Time" is set for a limited
release in the US on November 1 before going wide a week later. Reviews have
been mildly positive with 62% on Rotten Tomatoes. Whether the film will do well
at the domestic box office is still up in the air but it should turn a small
profit given that it's a low-budget affair. So far, it has grossed $30.4
million in foreign receipts. If this is truly the last film that Richard Curtis
will direct, he certainly goes out on a strong note. The time travel premise is
nothing more than a plot device used to espouse the story's themes and yes, it
does get too sentimental at times but if you're willing to keep an open-mind,
you'll find "About Time" to be a funny and charming film whose
endless optimism might just make you appreciate the smaller details in life a
little more.
Final
Rating: 4 out of 5
"I
try to live everyday as if it was the final day of my extraordinary, ordinary
life."
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