Ignore the Marketing, Wonderful Film

Rating: 8/10 (16 February 2014)

This movie is a great example of how unique films can get buried under the bad marketing of the Hollywood machine. If you know anything about this film prior to watching it chances are you think A)it is about time travel and B)it is a comedy.
Time travel is a part of the storyline, but this is NOT a time travel movie. Hence the disappointment and angry reviews from the sci-fi geeks who apparently felt the world needed yet another movie riffing on changes to the space-time continuum and the butterfly effect.
Because this is a British film, it gives you a few laughs, the British never take any subject completely seriously.
Since what the film actually is defies the conventions of 2 minute trailers and :30 TV commercials Hollywood hung its hat on the two things above.
What the film really is about, as the title says, is "About Time". It is a father-son story in the vein of "Cat's in the Cradle". The story makes many salient points about life, specifically because it isn't bogged down with explaining in detail how the time travel (which we all know is impossibly anyway so what's the obsession with the explanation sci-fi geeks?) works.
It is, what intelligent people would call a "plot device". A way to make points about love, loss, and life. The men are the only ones who can travel back to make this a father-son story and keep it focused. The screenwriter made choices as to what he wanted his story to be people, that is a good thing.
The cast is all capable but they are not depended on to carry the story at any point so no performance really stands out. If there is any flaw in the movie it is the lack of high drama at any point, but the overall message of the film, brought home at the end, makes up for it.
A very good film, the kind Hollywood makes too few of. Probably because when the pitch comes across their desk they sum it up as, "time travel romantic comedy".