It's easy to dismiss this as romantic comedy fluff with a gimmick, but to me Curtis's film is so much more. He cleverly uses the time travel gimmick to lure you into thinking you're watching the next Love Actually while you're actually watching a plot unfold that has a lot to say about life, loss and, yes, love.
About Time (2013)
After seeing "About Time," a time-travel fantasy that is basically "Groundhog Day" with Brit accents, a nice-bloke hero and minus a rodent (unless you count a rat of a boyfriend), I realize I have a problem.
But during the course of being seduced by his current paean to the power of love and its underlying message to simply live each day as if it were your last, this thought occurred: Something about Curtis's films allow cinematic endorphins to be released into the brain and generate a state of euphoria that is akin to absolute bliss.
Not that you would know it from the young Irish actor's last big role, the somber, bushy-bearded landowner Levin in last year's "Anna Karenina." Here, though, he is slightly more grounded than Grant (and his copper hair color provides fodder for ginger jokes, an Anglo staple) as Tim, a lawyer-to-be who is gobsmacked to learn at age 21 that the men in his wealthy family of eccentrics share the ability to go back in time. That the news is delivered in the most charming off-handedly fashion by his father in the form of Nighy, who never fails to amuse at the very least and astonishes almost always whenever he is onscreen, undercuts the questions that nitpickers might have about the process.
Once he is over the shock, Tim decides to concentrate on using his newfound ability to improve his love life. After fixing a disastrous New Year's kiss situation but failing to convince a comely summer visitor to give him a chance, he gets serious about his settling-down pursuits after moving to London. There he encounters an American named Mary (Rachel McAdams at her most infectiously fetching) who is mad about Kate Moss, prattles on about her too-short bangs while referring to them as "fringe" and will be revealed to have quite good taste in stylish frocks.
Until then, it is easy to ignore the nagging what-ifs the premise presents. But once babies get involved and potentially sad verging on tragic situations complicate matters, Tim can't so blithely alter his reality without unwanted consequence. At this point, you will either put up with "About Time" or think it's about time you leave, especially if you have issues with a husband who thinks it's OK to continue to keep his magical do-overs a secret from the person who is now his wife. But do stay, if only to witness Nighy's awesome ping-pong pantomime at the very least.
That the stars of the show are none other than the esteemed Richard Griffiths and Richard E. Grant in invaluable cameo roles and that they end up provoking some of the biggest laughs of the movie demonstrates why Curtis is a comedy genius. If only he knew when to step back in time and make a few changes himself.
Parents need to know that About Time is a sweet comic romance with a time travel element that shows characters with strong family ties, who are interested in settling down and raising new families. Though there's no nudity, sex is an issue; characters often talk about or think about sex, and we see couples in bed after presumed sex. Language is also fairly strong, with several uses of "f--k," some uses of "s--t," and one use of this phrase: "oh my assing God." The main character's sister is described as being in an abusive relationship and has a drinking problem. She gets into a drunk driving accident, and is shown in the hospital with some scratches and bruises.
After turning 21, Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) has a discussion with his father (Bill Nighy) and learns that he has the ability to travel through time to any point in his own life. He spends a summer learning to use his gift and fails to win his summer crush, a pretty blonde houseguest. One night, he meets Mary (Rachel McAdams) and falls in love. Unfortunately, he learns that by changing other events that happened that night, he hasn't actually met her yet. So he must re-meet Mary and win her again. More complications arise when he learns that his time traveling affects his children. But as his time destinations become more limited, he begins learning deeper and more profound lessons about life.
This is a low-key and heartwarming entertainment. One of our finest comedy writers, Richard Curtis worked on beloved British TV shows like Mr. Bean and Black Adder before making a splash in movies with Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, and Bridget Jones's Diary. His directorial debut was the wonderful Love Actually. But as he continued directing, it became clear that he did not grasp brevity; all of his films run over two hours. Moreover, in addition to being precious about his material, Curtis has also become precious about his characters; nobody in ABOUT TIME is really tested in any serious way. The movie goes easy on them. But aside from that, the characters are really loveable and their relationships are delightfully old-fashioned and touching. Bill Nighy in particular gives a wonderful performance. Neither the father-son story nor the love story is given more weight, and the time travel aspect never takes over. (It's also refreshingly free of visual effects.)
Families can talk about the movie's attitude toward sex. Do characters seem more interested in casual sex or in establishing deeper connections? How does this message differ from traditional Hollywood movies?
Tim and Mary kiss passionately several times and sleep together at the conclusion of their first actual date. (Three times, technically, since Tim keeps traveling back in time to sleep with her again.) They proceed to move in together and continue their sexual relationship until (and after) they finally get married. Mary gets pregnant around the time she and Tim get engaged.
Tim is instantly reminded of something his father had said to him once, something about how making one choice over another is never the end of the story. Or: Tim meets Phil and his life is changed forever.
(...) she might not even remember this scene in a couple of days, but that's the exact opposite of what Corvo wants. He wants her to think about him. Or, excuse him, he would love that very much. That's what he thinks when he rushes into the bathroom, pushes a random door, closes the toilet sit and climbs onto it. Clenches his fists. This is all it takes - thumping blood in between his fingers, eyes shut tight and a clear memory of the moment he wants to go back into.
The movie has no nudity, but characters definitely think about and talk about sex. The main character spends a summer obsessing over a pretty houseguest and hoping to sleep with her. He later meets the girl of his dreams on a date, and uses his time travel gift to have sex with her several times in one night though only a bit of kissing and the humorous aftermath is visible. He also kisses a girl at a New Year's Eve party. A woman's naked breasts are visible in a photo art exhibit.
A man who is given the gift of time learns that it is precious, and that every moment spent with his loved ones counts. Love, family, and loyalty are all strong themes throughout. The idea that one can find beauty in the small moments of every day is reinforced.
In time travel, one of two things can happen. Either the time traveler will exist separately from his past self, which means there would be two of the same person existing in one time period. Or the time traveler will merge with the past self, inhabiting his body so there is only one person. The latter is the route that Curtis goes with, though the details are unclear in the execution.
Most time-travel movies attempt to avoid some of the inherent paradoxes associated with time travel by setting out very specific rules and sticking to them. About Time makes an attempt at setting up such rules, but breaks them, repeatedly, without much explanation.
Some of my favorite movies are in a genre I call "simple science-fiction," which means that most of the movie is realistic except for one or two aspects of reality which are altered by some made-up technology or otherwise mystical power. Usually the premise can be summed up in a single "what if?" statement. For example: "What if you could erase specific events from someone's memory" (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind); "What if we could choose the genetic makeup of our children and lived in a society that over actual skill and ability?" (Gattaca); "What if somebody were forced to always speak the truth, and that someone was a habitually lying defense attorney?" (Liar Liar)While About Time isn't a great movie, it certainly is an enjoyable one. The sci-fi element here is used in the aim of romance and a bit of humor. The story involves a gangly British boy who, on his twenty-first birthday is told by his father that the men in his family have the ability to travel through time.There are, of course, some rules to this time travel gig: you cannot travel into the future, and you can only go back in time to places that you have been to at the time you were there.Time travel has its kicks and the device is used humorously as Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) begins to court Mary (Rachel McAdams). There is a good mix of humor and drama woven throughout. We learn that, even with time travel, one has to make important choices about one's life and that those have consequences, either way you choose to have a particular situation play out. In one sequence the main character learns that he can have one value or another—but not both—and must make a choice.The theme that we ought to slow down and breathe in the wonder of life—to live every day as if it were the second time you were living it—is an admirable goal and one well concretized throughout the film. When we, in our busy lives, don't take a moment to breathe, or are caught up in conflict or have anxiety or even are anticipating some exhilarating experience, we should stop and admire the wonder and fortune that we do have . In this way, the movie is about finding the value and joy in every day life, told through a time-travel themed love story.It is a little bizarre at times, and Bill Nighy, who plays Tim's father, manages to pull off some pretty outrageous scenes as well as be convincing as a loving, caring father.Time travel is tricky, and sometimes the time travel rules are violated (if you've seen the movie, the one about the children, for example), so a few plot points don't add up. But they aren't so egregious that it spoils the whole movie. And composer Nick Laird-Clowes creates a lovely recognizable romantic theme that helps weave the emotional moments together.McAdams starred in another time travel themed movie: The Time Traveler's Wife. That was a dud and, thankfully, this picture by writer/director Richard Curtis makes up for it. Unfortunately, About Time didn't see theatrical box office success, but you will definitely want to cuddle up with your honey and pop this flick in the VCR (or stream it to your TV, depending on what time period you happen to be in). The movie arrives on DVD and Blu-ray February 4, 2014.more reviews by Sean SaulsburyMovie RatingsSoundtrack.Net UsersClick stars
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