The smallest choice could change your life in ways unforeseen

Rating: 8/10 (18 December 2010)

I saw my friend watching this movie on his laptop and when I saw Ashton Kutcher in it, I assumed it would be a teen flick. Then one day, in the mood for a comedy, I put this on.
And boy, was I surprised. Not only was Ashton Kutcher acting in a serious movie, but he did a good job!
Ashton Kutcher plays Evan, who in his childhood used to suffer from blackouts, similar to his dad. Taking the advice of his doctor, he starts maintaining a dairy of his blackouts. Eventually these blackouts reduce in frequency until they completely stop. Then after a few years, as a college student, he chances upon the notebooks and goes through them. A powerful flashback then hits him. He later realizes he can go and change his past. But changing the smallest possible detail can have the greatest consequences, as he finds out eventually.
Ever since the start, the movie grips you unrelentingly until the credits are rolling, and it leaves you something to chew on other than your popcorn. The plot is smart and intriguing with its essence (How the smallest choice could completely change your future) driven home in a convincing manner by the end of the movie.
As already mentioned, Ashton Kutcher puts in a surprisingly good performance as a lead backed up ably by his cast. In fact, the entire crew did a great job on this one. The camera-work, editing and sound mixing combined to give the movie a continuity and intensity that must have been hard given the storyline of alternate realities, besides creating an atmosphere of suspense and desperation. At its heart is a beautiful love story between two very endearing characters. And the ending is beautiful, though it could have been even better.
A must-watch. 8/10