Gets Better Every Time

Rating: 10/10 (25 February 2019)

I first saw this in the theater 5 or 6 years ago and have probably seen it 15 times since. It is charming, loving and sentimental in the absolute best sense of the words. Tim (Domnhall Gleeson) is raised by his book-loving Dad, artsy Mom, and daft Uncle Desmond with his sprite of a sister KitKat in a great cluttered home on the edge of the sea in Cornwall. Tim and his Dad (a marvelous Bill Nighy) share a love for table tennis, an Italian singer who appears to have a dead beaver on his head, and each other. Dad tells Tim about a male-inherited ability to time travel to be used for those moments when getting it just right can change your life. Tim moves to London where he falls instantly in love with the lovely Mary (Rachel McAdams). The soundtrack to their relationship is spot on - their everyday routine set to music is an homage to making every moment count. I loved each of the major characters - sweet KitKat and lovable Uncle Desmond provide a counter-point to the easy joy of Mary and Tim, friends Jay, Harry and Rory are each part of the extended family. The scenery, set design, and London locations are pure Richard Curtis with the Tube as a major player and a wild Cornwall storm made another character in the story. There are some wildly funny moments, and a lot of tears for a romcom. As many times as I've seen it, I want to see it again, even though I always end up with tears on my cheeks