Excellent allegory for not trying to recapture the past

Rating: 8/10 (24 January 2004)

It has my favorite type of ending - tragic yet happy. A clever, and happier, variation on a Romeo and Juliet ending.
Along with Paycheck it has provided a great ending/beginning of the year for sci-fi/fantasy movies, especially after the very disappointing Matrix Revolutions and the mediocre Return of the King.
The story is so well developed, scary, and dramatic, I'm surprised it's not a book adaption. Given that the main actors are more of the silly-sexy/teen lust variety, it provides a shock. It focuses on the psychological and personal results of playing with time. In the end, the result is an excellent allegory for looking forward, not backward.
Thankfully, it doesn't waste time inventing ridiculous machines to make the time travel seem real. Hard SF has long since left time-travel to fantasy, and it would be nice if Hollywood did the same.
Of the variety of nice surprises in this film, 4 include:
-Eric Stoltz puts in a solid supporting performance.
-The R rating is not just for publicity reasons but because it actually deserves the rating. It actually deals with adult issues.
-The soundtrack fits and doesn't interfere with the film.
-Exceptional visual FX that make certain aspects of the film seem real.