About Time

Plot synopsis:
Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson) starts to describe himself and his family. He was always "too tall, too thin, and too orange." His mother (Lindsay Duncan) was usually unsenintimental. His father James (Bill Nighy) was a former university professor who now enjoys his free time reading and playing table tennis,. His uncle Desmond (Richard Cordery) was a bit odd and presumably has Alzheimer's, and his sister Katherine, nicknamed Kit Kat (Lydia Wilson), was free-spirited. The family has spent many joyful occasions together on the beach and at home, as Tim recalls.Tim's parents host a New Year's Eve party, which Tim is none too fond of attending. He and his friend Jay (Will Merrick) clumsily stumble into a table which spills drinks and bottles everywhere, even onto some guests. Kit Kat hooks up with a guy named Jimmy Kincade (Tom Hughes), while a pretty young blonde woman show interest in Tim. When everybody counts down to midnight, the woman leans in to kiss Tim, but he instead shakes her hand and wishes her a happy new year. The woman is visibly disappointed while everybody else is kissing their significant others.The next morning, Tim meets with his father in the family's den. James informs him of a big family secret that his own father shared with him when he turned 21. Apparently, the men in the family have the ability to travel through time. Tim is dumbfounded and doubts what his father just told him, but he asks how this task is accomplished. James tells him to go into a dark place, close his eyes, clench his fists tight, and think of the exact moment he wants to go to, and he will find himself there. Of course, he adds, there are limits to his time traveling, as he can only go to moments in his own life, as he cannot "kill Hitler or shag Helen of Troy."Tim goes into the wardrobe in his bedroom to make this attempt. He does what James told him, and he suddenly hears the Killers song "Mr. Brightside" playing loudly and he is stunned to see he is wearing the same outfit he wore at the New Year's Eve party. He avoids bumping into the table and when the countdown to midnight happens, he grabs the blonde woman and kisses her, much to her satisfaction. Tim returns to the present to express his astonishment to his father. He asks Tim what he plans on using this ability for and he answers that he'd really like to use it to get a girlfriend.Summertime rolls around and Kit Kat's friend Charlotte (Margot Robbie) arrives to stay with the family, and Tim is instantly smitten with her. While she and Kit Kat are sunbathing, Charlotte asks Tim to rub sunscreen on her back. He jumps with excitement at the request and as he tries to squeeze the tube, he squirts a big load of sunscreen on Charlotte's back. Tim awkwardly runs away into the house and into the closet to go back to this moment. He now acts more laid back and suave, then gently applies sunscreen to Charlotte's back.On the eve of Charlotte's last day with the family, Tim goes into her room to ask her a question. Before he says anything, she says he had better not ask any question about love, as Kit Kat said he may have, but that's exactly what he was going to ask. Although Charlotte finds him sweet, she tells him he shouldn't have waited 'til her last night to make a move and that he should've tried earlier. This leads him to walk into the closet next to her room and go back a month, midway through her stay, to make a move. Charlotte is more interested, but then says they should wait until her last night to see how she feels. Tim eventually realizes that no matter how much he travels back in time, he cannot make Charlotte fall in love with him, and so she leaves him with a broken heart.After the summer, Tim moves to London to pursue his career as a lawyer. He moves in with a family friend named Harry Chapman (Tom Hollander), a grouchy playwright. He then starts work at a law firm and makes friends with a young man named Rory (Joshua McGuire), who spends a lot of time close to Tim as he continues his search for a girlfriend.One evening, Jay takes Tim to a restaurant where they are paired up with blind dates in a dark room. Tim spends the night talking to a girl named Mary (Rachel McAdams) while Jay is with her friend Joanna (Vanessa Kirby). Tim and Mary hit it off while Joanna hardly shows interest in Jay. The guys meet the girls outside and Tim is enchanted by Mary's beauty, even though she doesn't see herself as being particularly attractive. Tim says he admires her dress and her fringe hairstyle. Before she and Joanna leave, Tim manages to get Mary's number.Tim returns home to find Harry bitter over a failed performance at his play where one of his actors forgot his lines onstage. This inspires Tim to start the night over so he can join Harry at the play to change his mood. Tim goes to the dressing room of one of the main actors (Richard Griffiths - his last onscreen appearance) to encourage him to give his script another look over. The actor rudely tells Tim off, but then does read through his script. Tim and Harry watch the play and the actor delivers his lines spot on, to which the audience applauds. Unfortunately, as it turns out, it is another actor (Richard E. Grant) who completely freezes onstage. Tim leaves to go back in time and go backstage to hold up cards for the actor to look to, which allows him to recite his lines perfectly and also receive applause. After the show, Tim goes to call Mary, only to see her number isn't listed in his phone. He rushes to the restaurant where they met and is told by the host that Mary and Joanna had already left, and since they payed in cash, he can't give Tim anymore information.Harry reads the paper the next morning to find a glowing review for his play, though what catches Tim's eye is an ad featuring Kate Moss, since he and Mary chatted about her when they first met. This leads him to go to a museum featuring an exhibit with Kate Moss pictures, hoping to find Mary there. He goes for days upon days with no luck until Kit Kat comes by to help him out. Finally, Mary strolls by, and Tim seizes the opportunity to talk to her. He tells her it's good to see her, but she tells him that they've never met. He says he knows her name is Mary, but it only makes her a bit uncomfortable. He leaves rather embarrassed, but Kit Kat convinces him to go back, just as Joanna arrives. Tim convinces Mary to let him tag along as long as he assures her he's not a lunatic or an odd fringe fetishist. He joins them for lunch and learns that Mary has a boyfriend. Said boyfriend, Rupert (Harry Hadden-Paton), arrives to join the girls. Tim starts asking pressing questions about how they met and where, which happens to be at a party Joanna threw the previous week at her flat. She even gives Tim the specific address to the place, which is enough information for Tim to run into the bathroom to time travel again.Tim runs to Joanna's party in time to find Mary sitting by herself near the window. He starts to chat her up, first coming off as awkward, but then convinces her to leave the party so they can have dinner together, thus allowing Mary to never meet Rupert. On their date, Tim learns that Mary works for a book publisher, and they have another chat about Kate Moss. After dinner, Tim walks Mary home and they kiss for the first time. She invites him inside for sex, which doesn't go smoothly the first time. Tim goes back in time to try again, which turns out better, but he tries once more, being more assertive and leaving both himself and Mary very satisfied.Tim and Mary officially start dating, going through many months together through the train station as a musical group plays a romantic song through their montage of love. One day, Mary's parents come to visit from America, though she springs it on Tim at the last minute just as they're coming up to their apartment. She warns him that her parents are very conservative and to not mention their intimacy. They arrive at the door and Tim foolishly blurts out that they do not have oral sex. Naturally, he goes back in time to undo this and he has a meal with Mary and her parents, leading Mary to say that she loves Tim.One evening, Tim and Rory go to watch a play, and Tim notices Charlotte there with her friend Tina (Catherine Steadman). After the play, Tim goes to say hi to Charlotte, and she introduces Tina as her girlfriend. This gives Tim the wrong idea that she rejected him because he believes she was a lesbian, though she says that's not the kind of girlfriend she meant. He goes back to undo this, though he still makes a blundered remark about misusing "girlfriend" to make someone think she's gay, when it turns out that Tina really is gay. Tim goes back in time, but instead doesn't approach Charlotte. However, Charlotte happens to spot him as he is leaving with Rory. She chats him up and then goes to have dinner with Tina, only to come back moments later to invite Tim to join her while she ditches Tina. The two have dinner and then go back to her place. Charlotte begins to invite him in, but Tim sees where this is going and he tells her there is something he needs to do.Tim runs back to his apartment to find Mary sleeping. He wakes her up to propose to her, though she is too tired and half-asleep to respond. He time travels to play music and approach her more gently to ask her to marry him. She says yes and thanks him for not doing a grand public proposal.Tim and Mary visit Tim's family to give them the news. He finds Kit Kat, who tells him she's been let go from another job. She runs into the living room to tackle Mary and kiss her cheek repeatedly. Over dinner, Tim announces to the family that he and Mary are going to get married, and they are planning on doing it soon as they are also going to have a baby. The family is overjoyed to hear this news. That evening, Tim and Mary start making plans, such as using the song "Il Mondo" at the wedding, where they'll get married, who Tim's best man will be, and where they will spend their honeymoon.The day of the wedding arrives. Even though it starts pouring rain, everything turns out fun and enjoyable for the couple. During the reception, where Rory is the best man, he starts to give an awkward speech, leading Tim to time travel and pick Harry as his best man. Harry starts making rude comments toward Tim, which makes him go back to pick Jay. This is just as bad since Jay starts making crude sexual references, forcing Tim to just pick his dad as the final best man. James ends up giving a half-assed speech, so he decides to time travel himself to give a much nicer speech in which he states he's only loved three men - Uncle Desmond, BB King, and Tim.Not long after, Mary gives birth to her and Tim's first child, a girl they name Posy. They eventually move into a house of their own, even though Tim states they can hardly afford it, but he and Mary are happy nonetheless. One year later on Posy's first birthday, Tim's family arrives but they are still expecting Kit Kat. There is a knock at the door, but it turns out to be Jimmy Kincade. Tim asks about Kit Kat and Jimmy says that he got into a fight with her and she had been drinking earlier. Tim and Mary rush to the hospital to find out that Kit Kat was in a car accident due to her driving drunk. Tim time travels to bring Kit Kat to his house before she drives anywhere. He takes her for a walk on the beach to confront her over her problems with Jimmy. He then admits his secret to her and brings Kit Kat into a closet to time travel back to the New Year's Eve party where she met Jimmy. She is just as surprised to find herself in her old clothes as Tim was at the beginning. Tim holds Kit Kat away from walking to Jimmy, and they see him approach another girl. Kit Kat realizes what a jerk Jimmy is, and she goes over to him to punch him square in the face.Tim takes Kit Kat back to the present and her memory has been altered, so she tells Tim that she is now with Jay. Tim is pleased to see that Kit Kat is happier with Jay, and he goes back home. When he goes to play with Posy, he is shocked to see that his daughter is now a boy. He time travels to the day of the child's birth to meet his father. He tells his son that because the child was born in between the time-traveling Tim did with Kit Kat, he altered the timeline so that he instead had a son. Tim realizes he must undo Kit Kat's new timeline so that Posy is born. Kit Kat still suffers the car accident, but Tim and Mary stay by her bedside until she vows to break up with Jimmy and maintain her job. Before he leaves, Tim tells Kit Kat that Jay has always had a crush on her and that she should talk to him.Sure enough, Posy is still there, and Tim plays with his daughter. He tells Mary he wants another child, though Mary doesn't want to go through the process again. Despite this, they have another baby, this time a boy named Jeff.One evening, Tim and Mary are going out to have dinner with Mary's publisher. She goes through a bunch of dress changes because she is unsatisfied with how she looks despite Tim telling her she looks lovely in anything. Mary eventually goes back to the very first dress she tried on. She asks Tim where Posy is, and he tells her he left her downstairs. Unfortunately, he left her with the publisher's manuscript, which Posy colored over in crayon and put through the paper shredder. Mary is furious, and as Tim tries to walk out so he can undo this via time travel, Mary does not let him leave. The phone then rings and she answers angrily, then apologizes when she finds out it's Tim's mother. She passes the phone to him and Tim's face becomes worried when he speaks to his mother.Tim and Mary go with Kit Kat back to the family's home. Kit Kat runs inside tearfully while Tim asks his mother how she is. She responds "I am absolutely uninterested in a life without your father." Desmond tells Tim that James has cancer. He adds that on Tim's wedding day when James told Desmond he loved him that it was the happiest day of his life, and now learning of this news makes this the worst day. Tim meets with his dad and learns that he has merely weeks left. He admits that he's been time-traveling a lot to give himself more time to spend with his family and to read a lot of books. He then tells Tim he has another secret to tell him.Tim narrates that his father gave him a two-part plan to enjoy his life. The first part is to go through a day normally as it plays out - we see Tim going to work, watching Rory get chastised by their boss, going to get lunch, and going to a case with Rory that turns out to be successful, living the day with the stresses he ought to face. The second part is to go back in time and relive the day while embracing it for what it is. He relives that day with a more upbeat feel, even allowing Rory to enjoy the day.The day comes for James's funeral. While everybody is getting ready, Tim time travels to a moment with his father, letting him know that he is arriving from the funeral. He sits down with James to listen to him read a passage from a Charles Dickens novel.Mary tells Tim that she wants a third child, this one being the "insurance baby" - as she explains, in case one of their children ends up being smart and the other doesn't, there can be "two happy dummies" instead of one miserable one. Tim is on board with the idea, though he realizes that this means he would have to permanently let his father go. Over the following nine months as Mary is pregnant with their third child, Tim visits his father. On the ninth month, as Mary is nearly ready to deliver, Tim visits his father one last time. They play table tennis, and James asks what his reward should be. Tim says he will give him a kiss, and from the look on his face, James is able to determine what this means. Tim goes over to give his father a kiss, and then the two go into a dark place to time travel together to a day when Tim was a child. He and his father spend the day together at the beach.Tim and Mary's third child is born, a girl named Jo. Kit Kat and Jay have also gotten married and had a child of their own. By this time, Tim has decided that he may now live his life without time travel, as it is perfect the way it is. He kisses Mary as she lays in bed while he goes to take his children, now slightly older, off to school.The film ends with a brief montage with most of the other characters (Rory, Harry, Tim's mother, Kit Kat, Joanna, etc.) enjoying their lives one day at a time.

Tags: comedy, fantasy, sentimental, flashback

Review:
Because it is possibly the most completely wonderful story I have ever watched.I'm getting on now, I'm a guy in my late 30's who is into action and violence and explosions and big robots smashing things and never before have I seen a movie which moved me to tears.There were elements which reminded me of silly things which I have done in the past and wished I could have done over, moments I wish I could relive and times I wish I could get - even writing this makes me want to cry!
From the director of 'Love Actually', who is also the writer of 'Four Weddings and a Funeral', 'Bean', 'Notting Hill' and the 'Bridget Jones' films, it sure raises some expectations for this particular fantasy romantic comedy drama film about time travel.
Although it shares some similarities with 'The Time Traveler's Wife' (the same female lead actress, Rachel McAdams) and 'Groundhog Day', but rest assured, 'About Time' is a witty, intelligent, charming, sweet film with surprising depth and heart.
The film done a fine job in balancing the comedic and dramatic elements of the story, providing enough laughter and allowing it to flow smoothly without feeling too overly long despite its 2 hours running time.Despite the time-traveling plot device, the story focuses on the father-son relationship of Tim and his dad and the lovely romantic relationship between Tim and Mary, without being too sappy, too overly lovey-dovey or too sentimental.
On the other hand, Domhnall and Bill, as father and son, their connection is felt throughout the film and certainly evoke some poignant memories when watching them together.It's one of the best romantic comedies this year had to offer, better than the disappointing 'Time Traveler's Wife'.
Any Richard Curtis movie I rate against Love actually, because to me that is his best film and one of my all time favourites!
The main focus of the film is about love and family so don't be too worried about the travelling in time, it fits into the film so well and makes some great comic moments when things go wrong.
But the best is the Presentation of emotions which could be linked to every single person who ever Loved someone or just believes in.The movie begins with casual entries and remains a good entertainer till second half while in the last quarter(ending) it cross a bridge and steps in best movie category platform with a message of living.I strongly recommend this movie to all the viewers.I rate this Movie 10/10..
This struggle was compensated by the successful interjection that even with such ability, life can have difficulties.The main character, did use this to his advantage to win the love of the girl he was so fond of but still he often faced difficult choices as to let things happen or turn the time back to prevent them.One thing that makes this stand out is the somewhat philosophical approach, an approach that is conveyed with simplicity so all can relate.Overall, it is an intelligent film, with emotion and poignancy..
I attended a preview screening of this in London.If you enjoy previous Richard Curtis (writer, director) films such as Four Weddings and a funeral, Notting Hill and Love Actually then you will very likely enjoy this sweet time travel comedy drama albeit with an ironic sense of time travel feeling of been having been here before.But that more of the same feeling is no bad thing, thanks largely to the wonderful performances of the cast and more importantly, the exquisite execution of its new spin, the time travelling plot device.
You might suspect things will happen in some ways as you watch the film but they don't and you might wonder, what's the story then but let it roll and the point of it all comes at the end.
Its also nice to see one of our great British character actors who had recently passed away make a surprise and funny bit part appearance perhaps for the last time...or did the film makers travel back in time to shoot his part?
I'm not a great fan of Richard Curtis previous movies but this film swims along with so much charm, English middle class idiosyncrasies, a lovely romance and a gentle pacing that flows with a steady beat from beginning to end.
Pleasant romantic comedy about a young man (Domhnall Gleeson) who is told by his father (Bill Nighy) on his 21st birthday that all the men in his family possess the ability to travel back in time.
then the not-quite-like-a-rich-man father told his son one day that all the men in the family got a mysterious gift of time traveling power?
'cause you don't have to travel in time to get it, or got to watch the film in your backyard garden at night, or in order to give you some more romantic feeling, using rain-making machine to shower you.
The intriguing plot complements the few time-travelling excursions and keeps the idea crisp.The plot is thought provoking and the script is kept light, with several laugh-out-loud moments which can be all-too rare in this genre.Domhnall Gleeson gives an extremely high quality performance in his lead role and is supported well by the highly experienced rom-com lead Rachel McAdams and an ever-amusing Bill Nighy, who provides much of the comic relief in the film.The plot could perhaps be accused of moving slowly at times; however this only serves to heighten the drama of the intriguing plot twists..
Welcome to the saccharine world of Richard Curtis where, just like ALL his other cinematic concoctions, love conquers all and life is fulfilled - as long as you happen to live in a fantasy version of London where a) it's always summer b) you live in (the incredibly expensive) St. John's Wood/Maida Vale area, c) ethnic minorities are non-existent, d) everyone has a middle class job in law, the arts or publishing, e) children never cry - they are just massively cute all the time, f) you have wealthy parents rattling around in a huge house by the sea, g) you have a kooky sister and an eccentric uncle for comedy relief and h) you are a less handsome but not unattractive ginger version of Hugh Grant.
Curtis' storytelling template never waivers from the success of FOUR WEDDINGS and NOTTING HILL and this derivative bilge is the 21st century equivalent of "All Americans still think London is foggy, lit by gas lamps and transported by horse and carriage." Oh, and don't forget - if you need a passage of time let's have a montage set to a bland love song that takes place in a single location.
There's nothing involving about the plot, no characters you give a toss about, and it's long, long, long.The entire premise of the time travel idea is under-used and almost seems like an afterthought for the movie.
This kind of made the concept defunct.From then onwards, we're treated to entirely predictable events as the dull humour quickly drops out of the film and it makes a stab at being something serious, failing to realise that most of the intelligent male audience dragged into it by women likely lost interest a long time ago.What is probably most infuriating though, is the writer's inability to create any leading male who isn't a public schoolboy Woody Allen clone, and if a viewer closed his or her eyes, the lead was Hugh Grant right down to the exact amount of air sucked in during pauses of verbose retorts.Before the end, I had to apologise for being unable to sit through this painful mess of a film and went to another room to do something more worthwhile...
The only "tear jerking" that happens is because of the sappy music and the marriage and baby stuff that some women love to fawn over despite the lack of connection to any of the characters in the film.It drags on especially toward the end for no real apparent reason other than to add to the sap appeal for the characters that we have no connection whatsoever to because, again, none was ever developed.The reviews promised a chick flick that men could actually enjoy.
Of course going into the film I knew that this is a Richard Curtis rom-com, filled with the usual faces and of course doing the usual things, so there is an element of buyer beware, but I was curious about the time-travel angle.Truth is that, outside of some plot points and basically the same jokes done over and over again, it really doesn't add much to what is essentially a film so sugary it will give you diabetes.
It makes you think about life and if you could go back and change some things in your life like Tim has done and the resulting consequences.Six out of seven of us really enjoyed the movie and would recommend it.
I didn't really know what to expect besides just a romance comedy, and I thought the time travel thing might make the film too cheesy or fake.
It feels different than other movies out there, especially other "romantic comedies." Also, I like how the main guy has such good charisma, and Rachel McAdams is great as always.
Richard Curtis does it again, delivering yet another quirky story of love, life and the travails of family past and present.The Time Traveller's Wife (also starring Rachel McAdams) also attempted a love story dealing with the effects of the hubby disappearing every once in a while, however the plot here in About Time is much more delicate.We don't have any grand notions of cause and effect, they just happen and you need to let it slide without too much over thinking.
It would seem to make perfect sense, then, for his newest film to be marketed in the same way: About Time, the new Richard Curtis rom-com featuring time travel!
Never judge a film by its trailer or poster, though, as the saying goes, because there's an almost startling, heartbreaking depth to About Time, which slowly reveals itself to be a story about family and love that's only concerned in part with romance.On his 21st birthday, awkward, gangly Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) is told by his dad (Bill Nighy) that the men in his family have a unique ability to travel in time: they can't kill Hitler or take a tour of Renaissance Europe but, by going into a dark space and clenching their fists, they can revisit moments in their own personal timelines.
When Tim meets the sweet, beautiful Mary (Rachel McAdams), he resolves to do everything in his power - including go back in time - to win her heart.That may sound like a bit of a kooky premise, but Curtis' execution of it - in his dual capacities as writer and director - is completely winning.
Curtis' films have always used music to great effect, and here he peppers the love story with songs that will move into your heart and stay there, like Ben Folds' The Luckiest and The Waterboys' How Long Will I Love You.But About Time isn't just about a boy and a girl finding each other: it's also about what happens after that, when romance leads to a lifetime spent together, making memories and becoming a family.
It's a point made very effectively when Tim tries to save his beautifully quirky sister Kit-Kat (Lydia Wilson) from the heartbreak and horror that has derailed her life.In many ways, this is Curtis' most personal film: it folds in life lessons and insights about death, loss, family, and treasuring what's extraordinary in even the most ordinary of lives.
Tim's romance with Mary might be the selling point of the film, but it's really his tender, emotional relationship with his dad that will stay with audience members long after the credits roll.If there's anything that doesn't quite work, it's Curtis' deceptively simple notion of time travel.
(It's fortunate that her second foray into time-crossed romance is so much more successful than the lamentable The Time Traveller's Wife.) Nighy, meanwhile, all long limbs and rumpled charm, is heartbreakingly lovely as Tim's dad: the father who patiently teaches his son about everything that matters in life and love.A few months ago, Curtis announced his plans to retire as a director after About Time - this would allow him, he said, to take properly to heart the film's message about consciously choosing to enjoy one's life in all its quiet splendour.
Anyhow, there is always a new angle, and in spite of some disharmony and flaws in the plot, About Time is definitely another "well-done" creation, with fine performances even in supporting roles (particularly Domhnall Gleeson as Tim, Rachel McAdams as Mary, Bill Nighy as Dad, Tom Hollander as Harry).The role of sci-fi was not too big (good for me :)), so the film is apparently not for genuine fantasy and fiction lovers, and the amount of big laugh opportunities is lower than e.g. Four Wedding and a Funeral, and Love Actually...
If you're like me looking for a movie that's just good from beginning to end where you learn lessons about love and loss without completely making every mistake the first time, instead just learning how to go through them the right way.
Even though this movie is extremely well done its another story about love, loss and time travel.
There are flaws in the time travel that made me feel a bit uneasy so be warned that if you like a flawless movie with a story that doesn't overlook a single detail you may be slightly frustrated.
Half way through the film it turns into a completely different movie becoming one about family dynamics and enjoying the ordinary moments in life.
The thing a lot of people might have a problem with specifically in this one is the time traveling element which many may find a bit absurd, but it worked for me (at least it was much better than the other time traveling movie that Rachel McAdams starred in) and I think Curtis uses this element as a sort of parable to remind us of the importance of savoring each day.
It is not just a romantic comedy, it becomes a movie about family, love, and life where Tim learns a couple of valuable lessons along the way.
McAdams and Gleeson shared great chemistry on screen, but the true standouts in this film were the supporting characters, especially Tim's father played by the wonderful Bill Nighy.
Sometimes a flawed and somewhat predictable movie can be enjoyed by the watcher due to its charm and inoffensive manner, Richard Curtis's time traveling love story About Time is one of those films, a film that provides enough laughs and heartfelt moments that only Scrooge himself could not find enjoyment in this tale.Brendan Gleeson's very own Domhnall Gleeson gets his first big leading role here as our lovable ginger time traveling lawyer Tim and he does a fine job at being a lovable red haired version of Hugh Grant.
While this love story is a major part of About Time, Curtis has also positioned the film to be more than a man meets girl tale with a twist, and with this choice has made a film all the better for it.Playing Tim's Dad is veteran British actor Bill Nighy, who with Gleeson gives the film another side that usual rom-coms would be hard pressed to have.
It's within this relationship between time traveling father and son that the movie finds many relatable and confronting issues to deal with and by films end the audience's emotional investment has been well and truly earned thanks to it.
I still like Richard Curtis and I would recommend viewers a lot of his other films whether written, or directed by him, like Love Actually, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones's Diary, or my personal favourite, the made for television movie The Girl in the Café.
But the true breakout character is Tim's elderly yet charismatic father played by Bill Nighly who we find out has used his time travel abilities to relive precious moments in life, knowing that his life is soon coming to an end.Yes the movie does skimp pass the less desirable aspects of relationship to present a very idealistic image of romance: the squabbles, the arguments, they are never present.
The runtime is a little overlong.Pros: Touching, powerful, and original plot, great ending, Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams and their great chemistry, good side characters, and Bill Nighy and his story is very touchingCons: The ability to time travel are never explained, slow pacing, and an overlong runtimeOverall Rating: 8.2.
'About Time' gets a lot of flack from people who spot the plot holes, or who are biased against Richard Curtis films before they even watch them.
"About Time" from 2013 is a beautiful story, beautifully told.A young man, Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson) learns from his father that he can travel in time; it's a gift shared by all the men in the family and kept secret from anyone else.
McAdams has a sweet, gentle presence, and she's delightful in this film.Then we get to the lead, Domhnall Gleeson as Tim, a somewhat gawky young man who projects warmth and humor that really carries this film.The rest of the cast is top-notch: Lydia Wilson, Richard Cordery, Joshua McGuire, and Tom Hollander.A magical film about life's journey, whether you can time travel or not..
When Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson) turns 21, his father (Bill Nighy) tells him that men in his family can travel through time.
There are touches of deja vu in this film which cleverly stitches in time travel to a love story encompassing all the central characters.
But things change when Tim's father (Bill Nighy) tells his son that the men in his family have always had the ability to travel through time.