"In Time" remains a brilliant sci-fi concept that just doesn't deliver

Rating: 4/10 (16 March 2012)

I am torn about this. I like the original idea which could've made for epic sci-fi cinema with some decent language puns thrown in. However, the plot is seriously anemic and a lot of the language puns don't work out and end up being horribly corny.
The action sequences seem a bit contrived, the romance somewhat unmotivated, the main character nauseatingly goody two-shoes. And then there's the random number of bad guys thrown into the mix to keep things interesting – until you don't need them anymore and can dispose of them equally randomly. And sometimes things just happen because they're convenient that way, explanations be damned, as if they're just the ramp needed for more action scenes.
Better writing could've also coaxed better performances out of all the actors. Both Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried seem at times completely oblivious as to what they're supposed to act. They barely have any chemistry together.
As for Seyfried's character: Is she the rebellious daughter or rather the clueless, wide-eyed girl that falls for a guy from the other side of the tracks? Is she both? Who knows? In any case Sylvia isn't even remotely as three-dimensional as she could be and despite showing some initiative she ends up being merely a doe-eyed damsel in distress.
Of course the movie does not pass the Bechdel test. In fact, it's infuriatingly white male- focused with the women mostly intended as eye candy. Every single person in this film is either male or if female clearly in the damsel/mother/sister/daughter trope corner.
Who is indeed wonderful is Cillian Murphy. Granted, I will watch that man run in a black leather coat any day, but quite besides my personal preference Murphy does prove once again that he really can play anything. The underlying maturity he infuses into his role as Timekeeper is a joy to watch. This is the same guy who was a vulnerable Kitten in "Breakfast on Pluto" and a considerably scary Scarecrow in "Batman Begins" - and again he immerses himself deeply in his character who actually ends up being the only one in "In time" who resembles a three-dimensional person.
At the end of the day "In Time" is just a brilliant sci-fi concept that could have made for a much better movie if only for a better script and some decent direction.