About Time Review

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."