About Time is a quiet and slow movie – in a really good way. By this I mean that the story unfolds slowly, bit by bit, without any over-dramatizing or silly effects. It is a movie that celebrates the small, fleeting moments of the ordinary, everyday life.
The story is about Tim, a young lawyer-to-be, who learns that he has inherited a special gift from his father – the gift of being able to travel in time. He immediately puts his new -found talent to use. But he doesn’t use it for other things than love, which is the big theme in this movie.
Sure, the first half of the film is basically about finding the love of his life, but About Time is not simply a romantic comedy alá “boy meets girl”. The concept of love doesn’t stop at the point where he is falling in love with someone and getting her to love him back. The movie is also about Tim’s love towards his family, especially that towards his father and his sister. This way the viewers can learn as much about Tim as they can learn about this family which is ordinary and extraordinary at the same time. And thus the theme of love is not only limited to the storyline of Tim and his love-interest Mary, but expands beyond that to his helping (and sometimes trying to save) the people who are near and dear to him.
In the end this is what he learns (and what the viewers can take with them from the film) – that every life, every moment, however ordinary it might seem or be, is somewhere in itself an extraordinary treasure to be cherished.
I really liked the cast of the film: Domhnall Gleeson (who you might also know for his role as Bill Weasley in the Harry Potter movies) plays a charming and likeable Tim. Bill Nighy excells in the role as Tim’s father Jake – he is just hilarious in such an aloof way . Lydia Wilsonturns out to be an actress I hope to see much more of in the future. She plays Tim’s younger sister KitKat, not an easy role I might think, but she does it so convincing and fiercely that I fell in love with her acting and the character immediately. She is, together with their uncle Desmond (greatly acted by Richerd Cordery), the eccentric one in the family.
Rachel McAdams plays the part of Mary, the role of the shy, somewhat insecure but incredibly cute and adorable girl, a role which seems to be assigned to her quite often (The Notebook, The Vow). But she does it in a good way, and I think in this movie I like her best so far. And I’m glad that she got the role and not Zooey Deschanel, I think she would be too over-the-top goofy and manic pixie like for the movie and the character.
I would have liked seeing more of Tim’s mother, with some insight into her background/personality (everyone else gets some of that), but she only plays a minor part in the story.
Overall About Time is a beautiful and enjoyable feel-good movie without much unnecessary kitsch, sugar, or drama. It is perfect for a cold, rainy day, or when you are feeling a bit blue to lift your mood.
Bechdel Test:
Two or more women with names: Yes.
Do they talk to each other?: Yes.
About other things than men: I don’t think so.
About Time
Released: 2013
Director: Richard Curtis
Runtime: 123 minutes
Light Stories 