Movies never make me cry...this one did

Rating: 9/10 (15 January 2019)

I'm vaguely familiar with Richard Curtis and his works. I've seen 4 Weddings, and part of Notting Hill. I am by no means an avid consumer of anything Curtis. I saw this one because an ex-girlfriend from 25 years ago looked me up on social media to tell me that she had found my movie doppelgänger in Domhnall Gleeson's character in this flick called "About Time". So, I had to check it out.
To be frank, I am no where near as charming or clever or cute as Tim. She was wrong on that front. But I'm so glad her message found me because this movie is amazing.
Is it sentimental, sappy, romantic? Yes to all 3 and, therefore, not my normal cinematic fare. The time travel aspect being thrown into a rom-com story almost discouraged me from even giving it a chance. But I had to see this British movie character version of myself.
My relationship with my father, or lack thereof, made this movie very personal and difficult to watch for me. You see, that's really the central, most powerful key to the plot. Yes it's a love story and it's silly and whimsical and all that. But Tim and his father have the relationship that I strive every day to have with my son, now 16, because it's the missing thing in my life that left this giant vacancy in my soul. And my life now largely revolves around ensuring that my son never experiences that vacancy.
I know this sounds more like an autobiography than a movie review. So I'll sum it up this way. Don't let the preposterous nature of the plot scare you away. The time travel scenarios, though silly and highly unscientific, are crucial to the plot development. If you are a son with a son(s) of his own, this movie is for you. Anyone who says this is a chick flick missed the point and got it completely wrong. This is a guy flick for guys who aren't afraid of their own souls and the emotions that come from them. I've watched it 3 times now and each time I cry a little less and smile a little more.