Time Out for Exposition

Rating: 5/10 (26 November 2011)

Good science fiction films can get away with virtually anything except for shoddy storytelling. Okay, fantasy and horror movies can get away with just as many things. Indeed, sci-fi, fantasy, and horror movies aren't subject to the same laws of gravity as crime thrillers, war epics, westerns, soap operas, and similar films. Indeed, most movies must toe the line where realism is concerned, but realism largely optional in bad movies. The exception to the rule for all movies is credibility. If a movie is going to qualify as exemplary, it must possess credibility. Good sci-fi can create worlds beyond our own, but only if the filmmakers can make everything believable. Good sci-fi can contrive a race of entities which may share few human similarities. Consider the "Planet of the Apes" film franchise as an example of good sci-fi. Often, however, these hybrid human and alien epics turn into mash-ups: humans working with or against extraterrestrials. Of course, the thematic as well as allegorical possibilities in these sci-fi films surpass anything that a regular film can conjure up. The point is that good sci-fi must strive even harder to make an imaginary environment with a laundry list of do's and don'ts seen credible so that the writers can justify getting their heroes and heroines in and out of life and death predicaments.
"Gattaca" writer & director Alex Niccol has dreamed up a compelling premise for "In Time," starring Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried as a "Bonnie & Clyde" couple on the lam from the law in the year 2161 where time is money. Unfortunately, Niccol fails to forge an aura of credibility for his "Twilight Zone" tale. Specifically, Niccol neglects to provide enough information about the future. Mind you, nothing about "In Time" seems far-fetched except for the rules that govern the economy of this enigmatic society. Nevertheless, this fascinating but flawed actioneer looks incredibly cool thanks to the stark looking widescreen cinematography of "Brazil" lenser Roger Deakins, Alex McDowell's atmospheric production designs, and the minimalist art direction of Priscilla Elliot who designed "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Of course, Niccol and company have taken advantage of the historic Depression era architecture of Los Angeles with its art deco bridges, storefronts, and concrete river to supplement the film's mystique.
Scientists have engineered a procedure--which Niccol never adequately explains--to genetically alter humans so they cease aging after age 25. Essentially, a man's wife, daughter, sister, mother, or aunt may be twice as old or young, but they never look a day over 25. Meanwhile, they are born with a thirteen-digit, Day-Glo green clock on the outside of their left forearm which counts down the time they have left. After reaching the age of 25, they have one year to live. Anybody who can acquire enough time can live to be immortal. Few, however, manage this feat. Once a person runs out of time, they fall dead on the spot. Meantime, everything is purchased according to time. For example, a cup of coffee costs four minutes, while an exotic convertible may cost 59 months. A phone call costs one minute. Interestingly, cell phones are non-existent. By this time, you must have figured out that the wealthy people are those with time to burn, while the poor folks spend their days toiling in dead-end jobs so they can earn time. Society has been stratified and rarified into the rich, the not-as rich, and the proletarian poor. People live in different time zones, and the least fortunate live in ghettos. Crossing from one time zone to another can be incredibly expensive. Things really get complicated because the economy keeps changing so that the poor have to work twice as hard to stay alive for the next 24 hours. This is the way this society deals with the threat of overpopulation. In this respect, "In Time" mirrors contemporary society where prices escalate at the whim of greedy Wall Street traders who have no compassion.
Our blue-collar protagonist, Will Salas (Justin Timberlake of "The Social Network"), is just another face in an overcrowded ghetto. As a factory worker, he struggles to make his quota. One day, he encounters a suicidal guy in a neighborhood bar, Henry Hamilton (Matt Bomber of "Flightplan"), and saves him from the villainous Fortis (Alex Pettyfer of "Beastly") and his gun-toting henchmen. Fortis and company cruise the ghetto searching for easy prey. Everybody keeps the clock on their forearms covered for safety reasons. Hamilton neither dresses nor behaves like the poor, and Fortis targets him. Will helps Hamilton to elude Fortis. Ironically, Hamilton has lived over a thousand years but has grown weary of life. He wants to die. While Salas and he are hiding out, Hamilton gives him a century of free time. Hamilton sneaks away and dives off a bridge. A squad of Timekeepers clad in long, leather coats, led by gimlet-eyed Raymond Leon (Cillian Murphy of "Batman Begins"), suspect Will may have murdered Hamilton.
Eventually, the Timekeepers catch up with Will after he has crossed over several time zones. He has met and gambled with a wealthy citizen, Philippe Weis (Vincent Kartheiser of "Alpha Dog"), and won a fortune in time from him. Philippe's beautiful daughter Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried of "Momma Mia!"), invites Will to their palatial residence to so her father can win back his lost time. Leon shows up and arrests Will, but our hero escapes and takes Sylvia as his hostage. Before long, Sylvia rebels against not only her wealthy father but also the injustice of the system. She joins Will on a crime spree stealing time. Basically, Will and she behave like "Robin Hood" bandits. They threaten to destabilize the economy because they are giving time away to the less fortunate.
Sadly, despite its provocative premise, "In Time" generates little suspense and few surprises. Altogether, the scarcity of expository information about the future is enough to tick anybody off who demands a modicum of credibility.