About Time [M]

Tim has a nice ordinary family: his mother’s fashion icon is the Queen, his sister is bubbly and eccentric, his uncle always dresses sharply, and his father quit his job at 50 to spend time with his family. The one extraordinary thing about Tim’s life is that all the males have the ability to travel back in time and relive moments from their past. For Tim the perks of such a gift are both glorious and extensive, however there is the question of repercussions: as Tim discovers when he meets the girl of dreams and, upon using his gift to change an event the same night, manages to erase their ever having met. 

This is the third movie both written and directed by Richard Curtis. It would be so incredibly easy to just compare and contrast it with Love Actually and The Boat That Rocked, but it would simultaneously be a very stupid thing to do because, like a snowflake, no too Curtis films are the same and therefore cannot be looked at in the same way. I will say that Curtis delivers another gem in About Time, filled with wonderful and clever writing that has you laughing one moment and crying the next. This is a very lovely film. 

Tim has a nice ordinary family: his mother’s fashion icon is the Queen, his sister is bubbly and eccentric, his uncle always dresses sharply, and his father quit his job at 50 to spend time with his family. The one extraordinary thing about Tim’s life is that all the males have the ability to travel back in time and relive moments from their past. For Tim the perks of such a gift are both glorious and extensive, however there is the question of repercussions: as Tim discovers when he meets the girl of dreams and, upon using his gift to change an event the same night, manages to erase their ever having met. 

To get into the correct frame of mind with this movie, it might help to look at how different it is from its predecessors. Love Actually was a collection of many singular stories and that’s what gave the film its volume and shape. The Boat That Rocked had a collection of vibrant and strong characters that achieved the same effect. 

About Time has neither many stories nor big characters, what it does have is one plotline with a supernatural element. Immediately there is a subtle sense of hilarity about the film because the one extraordinary element is treated as something quite ordinary. Tim’s sessions of time travel are kept to a minimum so as to not dominate the film and this exhibition of restraint is the mark of a great writer. It would be so easy and offer a lot of comedic opportunities to just have Tim have to travel and relive moments 5, 6, 7 times until he gets it right, but the fact that the time travel element just hovers in the background and is only used when needed is a great example of a writer looking into the future of the work and pondering the repercussions. 

What’s particularly intriguing about this movie is the fact that you simply cannot see where it’s going, thus there are a lot of doors open and you are compelled to stay in your seat because the story can go any which way. 

Domhnall Gleeson stars as Tim and he really does shine. At a glance he strikes you as being this shy, bumbling, and unremarkable chap, but then he speaks and everything that comes out of his mouth is sincere, charming, and somehow captivating. He’s a beautiful unlikely romantic hero and it’s really wonderful to watch him because there aren’t many of these people left. Starring Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Lydia Wilson, Lindsay Duncan, Richard Cordery, Joshua McGuire, Margot Robbie, Vanessa Kirby, and Tom Hollander, About Time is a beautiful movie that stands as uniquely different and individual as any snowflake. Filled with time travel, schadenfreude, drama, suspense, a little bit of confusion, comedy, and romance, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Curtis’ clever writing ensures that there is never a dull moment: even scenes where the characters are determining what clothes to wear are filled with great lines and great delivery that makes them just as memorable and exciting as any of the dramatic plot bombshells. This is a really lovely movie.