About Time

It may have masquerade itself as another time traveling romance movie, but About Time should not be dismissed. A work by Richard Curtis, About Time displays more than a love story, but rather, a coming of age of an adult, particularly when he steps out of the confinement of his own home. It's different from romantic comedies in a way that it doesn't stop at the happy ending, but rather goes further into their lives.

Tim, or the men in his family, have a special gift: they have the ability to travel through time. Their time travel rules differ that they can only travel through their pasts, and can't travel to the future. Tim uses his abilities to find love, hence Mary. However, he manages to screw things up when he goes back in time to help his friend, Harry save his playwright career. He does end up winning Mary at the end, but the story is just the beginning. 

When I said that this was sort of a coming-of-age movie, I don't mean the whole awkward guy finds his confidence and all that; rather, it's the matter of growing up. We see Tim grow up through his time travel adventures: from using it for his own benefit, he goes all the way to change the past for someone else he truly loves. About Time shows that while changing mistakes in the past can yield to beneficial or disastrous results, things happen because it is through those moments and experiences that people learn and grow up. Time should be cherished, and we shouldn't just let things pass by.

Domhnall Gleeson makes a likable lead, a little bit awkward but charismatic as well. I enjoyed his performance in Anna Karenina, and this one was endearing as well. I do hope that this movie does open some more doors for him, at least for better faring work. Bill Nighy is yet again amazing as the role of Tim's father. He does seem to have an off-beat relationship with his son, and it was through their bond that Tim was able to discover more of himself. Another character that was great though he had a short appearance was Tom Hollander; he was such a cynic delight. A bit of a miscast for me was Rachel McAdams. Honestly, I would have thought she'd outgrown these roles by now, and appearing in yet another time travel movie, it would seem that it has the appeal of her previous movie with a similar nature. While she was her charming self, I would have pegged the movie to go for another likable leading actress that doesn't carry the stigma. 

While it was written to be a romantic movie and marketed as such, I felt that the tone was far from it; it was really more of light drama. Of course it was fun to watch the subway montage, and the steps on having family, but its focus was really on Tim's development. The soundtrack was also enjoyable as well, and the movie has implored great scenic shots. I'd want to live in the beach house at Cornwall; it looked very serene. As I've mentioned, this shouldn't have been dismissed so easily, as it's one of the current better movies of the genre, as opposed to others being thrown in. If you're looking for a rainy day movie, this would be it. 

Final Word: About Time may seem like another romantic comedy, but it's quite charming. It shouldn't be cast out as a typical film; it might grow on you over time.

Cast: Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy 

Director: Richard Curtis

Year: 2013