A picture that explodes with creativity, excites with its relentless energy and presents a collection of strong and rounded performances

Rating: Null/10 (31 October 2011)

Writer-director Andrew Niccol is a fairly absent talent: he takes prolonged breaks in-between projects in order to really flesh out and mould a picture. After a 7 year hiatus, he is back with In Time, a high-concept Sci-Fi Thriller which he claims to be a "companion piece" to his sensational Gattaca (1997).
In the near future, people stop aging at 25 and are granted another year of life moderated by a digital clock embedded in their skin. In order to prolong life, they must work to earn time, as well as trade and share it. Time is the planet's currency and with that comes responsibilities, power and sadly corruption. Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) is a poor industry worker from Dayton who soon finds himself pursued by timekeeper Raymond Leon (Cillian Murphy) after being accused of murder. Salas heads to New Greenwich and takes the rich and beautiful Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried) hostage, but their relationship soon changes and the pair realise they share a connection which could change the face of the vicious monopolised system they find themselves a part of.
Despite the new world Niccol has created, what lies under In Time is something many of us have seen before – this is a bandit tale, part Robin Hood part Bonnie and Clyde. Salas and Weis are two people from different worlds who share a redeeming feature: they both wish for equality. In Niccol's future, the poor die young and the rich can live forever. Yet the planet is aware that there is not enough space for everyone and with so many living longer than "they should", prices of living are dramatically increasing in order to bump off those who plead poverty. It would be right to think the current financial and ecological climate had a profound effect on this picture's scripting process because fundamentally, this is "Blade Runner: The Recession Cut".
However, despite the movie's moral values (helping the poor and tackling the wealthy), it is clear a healthy investment aided this picture because it looks astonishing. Sets and props outweigh CGI and pyrotechnics. Every detail is supremely crafted and the world in which the film is set looks fantastic. Every single use of money in the real world is mirrored with time investments here, whether this is during a game of poker, having a quick coffee before work or advancing through a toll point at a bridge – what Niccol has done here to create authenticity is undeniable and consequently forces audiences into this spookily realistic space.
Although the film's principal narrative has been tweaked from timeless stories and folklore, In Time feels modern, singular and unique – it does not play upon the screen like a carbon copy of a past features: it is built with a great deal of creativity and substance, so it is easy to forget its nostalgic undertones. "High-concept" is an overused terminology in the cinematic world but it is a perfect signature stamp here. That, and "postmodern".
In Time is littered with action sequences, dynamic car chases and on-foot frenzies which keep the adrenaline pumping and the audience engaged in the drama which surrounds our two "heroes" – a term one uses very lightly. In fact, although Salas and Weis' behaviour is for the better good, their own morals and ideals are questionable – something fairly unusual in big-budget Hollywood releases. Granted the film does have clear villains: Sylvia's filthy-rich father Philippe (played by Mad Men star Vincent Kartheiser who quite frankly is playing a futuristic extension of his character in the show), and Alex Pettyfer's "Minuteman" Fortis who runs the local gang in the ghetto stealing the others' time.
In regard to this being a companion piece to Gattaca, it is quite obvious that Niccol has convinced himself of that fact because these two pictures share no similarities at all. However this is not a criticism, In Time is a breathless and extremely exciting movie that whirlwinds through its 109 minute running time, whilst Gattaca remains his most acclaimed and intelligent piece.
In Time boasts a heap of stars that all bring strong performances – Timberlake makes a great leading man here, who boasts presence and charisma as well as handling the action and emotional sequences. Many critics will say that he was better in The Social Network, but what they risk to forget is that a supporting role is very different from a leading one, and Justine is still trying hard to be competitive in both roles. Seyfried is also excellent and able to balance her snooty high-maintenance background with her new rebellious streak making Sylvia an unpredictable and interesting character. Murphy is strong support, Pettyfer is perfectly fine in his role and other names popping up immerse themselves in Niccol's world, including Johnny Galecki, most noted for his role in The Big Band Theory – which one happens to detest, but he performs capably and naturalistically here.
Verdict: 
The film has the odd silly dialogue slip and its primary tale is moderately recycled but these are minor quibbles in a picture that explodes with creativity, excites with its relentless energy and presents a collection of strong and rounded performances.
Read more reviews on The Upcoming http://www.theupcoming.co.uk/category/culture/cinema