It's about time for another movie review. So, the other night I chose About Time (2013) with Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams. I find Rachel McAdams to be absolutely adorable and I like her movies because her characters are so cute. She is always the quintessential "girl next door:" down to earth, unassuming; intelligent; hopeless romantic; diamond-in-the-rough kind of beauty who wears girly clothes and has a very distinctly feminine sense of style...adorable! OK, maybe I just described my perfect woman, but moreover, let me tell you about the film.
The story starts out with a young man, Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) having a conversation with his father. He explains that all the men in the family can travel back in time at will. They need only to find a dark corner somewhere, clench their fists, close their eyes, and think of where and when they want to go. If you like romances, you'll love this story. If you mainly like the sci-fi treatment of time travel, you probably won't. It's more of a light fantasy.
Tim is a little bit goofy, but nonetheless a strong likable character, and interesting enough to keep you engaged. Essentially what we in the US think British men are like. He uses his new found power to recreate, and correct, all of his most awkward moments, especially those involving romance, or at least the attempt at romance. After moving to London, Tim meets Mary (Rachel McAdams), and American expatriate living in England, and instantly falls in love. Much of the film is about their romance and the stages in their lives together. It truly is a romantic comedy, because all the fails in Tim's journey are easily relevant, and I don't know anyone who wouldn't kill for the ability to go back in time and have a few good "do-overs."
At first glance, the film seems like it would be oddly similar to another film Rachel McAdams starred in called The Time Traveler;s Wife (2009), in which her character Clare is also married to a man who can travel through time. This is where the coincidence ends. In The Time Traveler's Wife, Clare's husband Henry (Eric Bana) randomly travels back and forward through time. His journey revolves around Clare. He jumps around from year to year, always ending up somewhere near her. He has no ability to control his jumps through time, thus adding a interesting dynamic to the story line making the character's lives essentially non-linear.
What makes About Time so compelling is that you fall in love with the characters early on. Tim and Mary have such a chemistry that anyone could find appealing. This is a film you want to watch with your loved one; a date movie; or perhaps for Valentine's Day. I wish there were more films like it. And Rachel McAdams can email me at any time: chrishirsch2@gmail.com.