Somewhere a Clock is Ticking

Rating: 6/10 (20 March 2012)

The thought behind 'In Time' made me want to see this movie. I usually do not find action movies worth my time (hahaha) but I found that living in a world that values time as currency was interesting enough for me to pick it up.
This is the first movie that I have seen with Justin Timberlake and while he was likable as Will Salas, there was no real hook- he looked good in his tux, played the rags to riches man well and the romantic, but it came across as generic or robotic. Maybe there is room to grow here but it seemed that as the main character he failed to pull me in to his world, yes he displayed some emotion and that was what saved him in the end. He appeared tough when he needed to be, sweet and angry, sad even but all the while I was thinking, Will could have been so much more.
I am not a fan of Amanda Seyfried and here she was a spoiled little annoying rich girl. One thing that really drove me crazy was something that she probably had no direct control over and that was her make-up and hair, not to mention the dresses and heals. I am sorry but do not expect me to believe that she (or anyone) for that matter can run over roofs, down dark alleys, up fire escapes in four inch heals and be okay. I mean I know this is a fantasy film, but that was just pushing it. The story between Seyfried, who plays Sylvia Weis, and Timberlake is so predictable it was ridiculous. Make an assumption in your head about what happens between the poor cute boy and the rich hot girl and there you go.
It was the performances of the minor characters that held it together, though for the life of me I cannot believe that Cillian Murohy agreed to some of the dialog that came out of his mouth. I like him as villain and he did well, but it not the best performance I have seen from him.
I do not really know much about Matt Bommer, but I really liked his character and the role that he played in the film and he was easy on the eyes thats for sure.
Alex Pettyfer was a confusing addition but once I started looking at him like a slum lord, his character made sense.
The action was well placed throughout the film and was not over done. I found the romance element annoying and on a side note it was frustrating how every romantic scene was preceded by music- a couple times I thought I was watching a bad Lifetime movie or something.
The film no doubt is a message about the 'half and half not' of the universe. Time is the currency and so the more one has the more powerful and longer one lives. There is a feeling that people beg, barrow and steal time in order to live forever and that is the driving force behind the mission that Will takes upon his shoulders. Its a metaphor for out current situation and the financial crisis that his happening across the globe, but I did not feel as though I was being preached too, which is rare. There was one speech that I rolled my eyes at, but I get what the writer was getting at, it was not necessary, but then again I do not think the target audience were adult, college graduates. I knew what they were selling before the movie was half way over, I did not need the rhetoric, but I did expect it.
Overall it was a descent film. The music and the make-up department was a bit over the top- do not even get me started on the makeup of Vincent Kartheiser (who played Seyfried's father). The premise was excellent, the actors mediocre and the production over the top. 'In Time' also laid the foundation for a sequel, which I may check out it I have the time.