About Time

About Time. Written and directed by Richard Curtis. 2013.

About Time is the latest romantic comedy written and directed by Richard Curtis (whom we all know from Love Actually). The film tells the story of Tim (Domhnall Gleeson, Bill Weasly in the Harry Potter films), who finds out on his twentyfirst birthday that all the men in his family can timetravel. Not in a very spectacular way though; they can't go to the future, but they can go back in their own timeline. All they have to do is stand in a dark place (a cupboard, for example), clunch their fists and think of the moment they want to go to. Tim, who's a not-so-smooth ladies man, decides to use this power to find the love of his life. And this turns out to be an excellent premise for a warm and loving film.



Luckily for us, being able to travel through time doesn't mean it becomes any easier to find the love of your life. It might even make it more difficult. After Tim has met Mary (Rachel McAdams), *spoiler alert* the love of his life, he goes back in time to help a friend, only to now not have met her. With his only clue being that she loves Kate Moss, he goes in search of her and, with the help of a bit of timetravel, manages to eventually find her. As Tim cleverly uses timetravel to ease his courtship of Mary, there's quite a bit of humor in this film, but also more serious moments of insight and life lessons. Time travel not only makes life easier for Tim, it also teaches him what is most important to him in life.

Pictures from google image

The best thing about this film are the characters. I loved everyone or loved how annoying they were. Tim and Mary make the cutest couple and Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams have great chemistry. I also adored Mary's wardrobe and even though I hardly ever wear dresses, I want every smock she wore in this film. Tim's familly is also very lovable. His father is played by Bill Nighy, who convincingly portrays a goofy, lovable man, as we're used of him, and Tim's stoic and sarcastic mother is a very funny role from Lindsay Duncan, whereas Tim's sister Kit Kat (Lydia Wilson) is quite a tragic character. Tom Hollander is also a gem as the bitter playwright Harry. Even the smaller parts of Tim's and Mary's best friends all stand out, and everyone was cast to perfection.

For some people, the sci-fi element of time travel might put them off this film, but that would be a waste. It's just an element to propel the romantic storyline forward. Besides that, it does give this romantic comedy a new edge compared to the o-so-many other romcoms out there, as it presents a whole new array of comedic opportunities. However, in the end you should see this films because it is warm and moving and will leave you feeling good. Something about this film resonated so strongly with me, that after it was over all I though was: this is what I want my life to be. The picturesque family home in Cornwall and the charming apartment in London, plus people who genuinly love each other. What more could you want?

Ratings: 4.5 out of 5