Not just another bad chick-flick!

Rating: 8/10 (13 November 2013)

'ABOUT TIME': Four Stars (Out of Five)
Writer-director Richard Curtis (who wrote and directed the critically acclaimed hits 'LOVE ACTUALLY' and 'PIRATE RADIO' as well as wrote or co-wrote other British romcoms like 'FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL' and 'BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY') helmed this 'time travel romantic comedy-drama'. It stars Domhnall Gleeson (who's most famous for playing Bill Weasley in the last two 'HARRY POTTER' films) as a 21-year-old lawyer in training who discovers he can time travel and uses his gift to get a girlfriend. Rachel McAdams co-stars as the number one object of his affection and Bill Nighy plays his time travelling dad. The film is as much a father-son tale as it is a romance but that didn't keep the theater I saw it in from being filled with 90% female viewers. As far as romcoms go it's pretty good but that's to be expected from Curtis.
Gleeson plays Tim, who is 21-years-old when his father (Nighy) tells him their big family secret; that the males in the family can time travel. He explains that they can only go back in time and they can't change history. Tim decides to use his special abilities to win over a woman. He first tries it on his sister's friend (Margot Robbie), who stays with his family one summer, but learns that his gift can't make someone fall in love with him. Then, when he moves to London to study as a lawyer, he meets Mary (McAdams) and the two immediately hit it off. As he continually time travels though (to try and fix things in their relationship and his relationships with others) he keeps complicating things and making them worse as well as better.
I last saw McAdams as a gorgeous and evil femme fatale in the Brian De Palma thriller 'PASSION' and she was fantastic in it. She used to be one of my favorite actresses but she's done so many bad romantic comedies (and other crap like that) that she's kind of lost my interest. So it was great to see her doing something completely different and good in 'PASSION'. Here she's doing another romcom, as the standard cute and sweet leading female 'love interest' role, but she's great at it too. She's the heart of the film and really drives the viewer's involvement in the story. Gleeson is a good and likable lead as well and Curtis's script (although flawed) and directing are brilliant. It is another romantic comedy but it also has a sci-fi fantasy twist and was in the hands of a good director. McAdams shines in the movie and everyone else in it is more than adequate as well. It's emotionally moving and definitely worth seeing; not just another bad chick-flick!
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