Better than expected - good casting

Rating: 7/10 (27 October 2011)

This movie is better than I thought it would be. It is stylishly made with an attractive cast and has some good points. This is a dramatic science fiction story about time left to live being the currency of the future. The premise is quite interesting and isn't too ridiculous. There is tension from wondering if some characters will die when they run out of time. The casino segment makes use of this. The casting is good. Justin Timberlake is the Robin Hood type character trying to redistribute time. He has matured a bit as an actor. He is less teeny bopper than usual and his voice is a few registers lower here. The supporting cast is good especially Cillian Murphy as the cop or time keeper - his obsessive look is quite convincing. Vincent Kartheiser of Mad Men has an eerie preserved look and is well cast as Amanda's father. A lot of the humor comes from the "science fiction young" characters like the slim Olivia Wilde as Justin's 50 years young mother. One of the scariest things is seeing Amanda Seyfried run around in very high heels. Don't get her hair style and color. Johnny Galecki of Big Bang Theory has a small but against type role. Matthew Bomer plays a suicidal man who doesn't want to live any more and gives Justin a present of time. Alex Pettyfer plays a villain thug with a British accent - something he is quite suited for. Liked the use of vintage cars but the city scenes were a bit science fiction drab. A couple of weak points. The story has Justin and Amanda running around a lot and it gets a bit repetitive. It drags a bit in the middle to last quarter. Overall still worth watching if you have the time.