Review of About Time (2013) by Seth Y — 05 Mar 2014

It's not perfectly executed, but About Time is a unique and entertaining film with a heartfelt meaning.

21 year old Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson) is a lonely young man. Feeling hopeless, his life is forever changed the morning following a failed New Year's Eve Party. His father (Bill Nighy) pulls him aside and tells him a huge secret: the men in their family have the ability to time travel. After he relocates to London to start a career in law, Tim puts his newly discovered gift to use, hoping to find the love of his life. It is there that he meets the gorgeous Mary (Rachel McAdams), and Tim learns to master the time travel process to make sure things go perfectly. However, in time, Tim discovers that making the most of life in the present is the key to happiness.

This is the first that I've seen from Domhnall Gleeson, but I thought he was he was great in the role of Tim. You can certainly see the awkward, lonely traits of his character and the progression that takes place during the film. Rachel McAdams is so easy on the eyes and you can't help but to be infatuated with her as the love interest of Tim. The supporting cast also works well, which includes the stunning Margot Robbie amongst many others.

I was immediately sold on the concept of About Time, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit disappointed with the final result. The chemistry between the actors is wonderful, but the film's take on the concept of time travel didn't quite meet my expectations. There is absolutely no explanation to Tim's ability, and the scenes that demonstrate the act of traveling are underwhelming to say the least. There are also numerous plot holes that don't correspond with the rules of Tim's gift that his father lays out at the beginning of the film. At times, it also feels like it's getting sloppy and the run-time probably could have been trimmed by a half hour. In spite of those issues, there is an interesting story being told with a message that did leave me thinking at the end. As much as I wanted to LOVE this movie, I was still satisfied with its unique and interesting approach. 3 stars.