It's About Damn Time I Saw About Time

As silly as it may sound, I've been trying to see About Time for the last three weeks.

And for one reason or another, it just kept falling through. Well today I finally managed to see it and I'm certainly glad I did.

This would have to be classified as the quintessential date movie. Something girls and guys would equally enjoy and something that would make them think about their own relationship and what it is they could do better for each other and the other important people in their lives.

If you don't know the concept, it's about a guy who, on his 21st birthday, is told by his father that he can travel in time. Not to the future or anything, just to events that he's already experienced. This seemingly silly ability turns out to create a myriad of consequences (though less than I would have expected). While at points the time travel element seems to stop making sense... and the rules of the ability seem to convolute themselves... it still allows for some overall interesting and entertaining exchanges.

I was not at all surprised to find that the cast was excellent across the board. Domhnall Gleeson is great in the leading role. But for me it's all about the supporting cast. Rachel McAdams can honestly do anything and I'm surprised more people haven't considered trying to give her dynamic new roles. But she captures a great awkwardness here that I found quite believable. It is funny that she did this after having done The Time Traveller's Wife. But I like both movies, so who cares? Bill Nighy rocks my socks. It doesn't matter the movie or the role... Bill Nighy is just one of the most fun performers currently living.

Honestly, it's no surprise that this came from the writer of Love Actually. Richard Curtis excels in this genre. He sets out to ask questions about the importance of life experiences and how they can subjectively effect relationships. And quite frequently, I feel, he succeeds.

About Time was a fun little picture. Even though I do wish they had established and grounded the rules of time travel a little better, I still feel like it's not a discrepancy worth disparaging a film of quality like this one. In the end, I found myself trying to imagine similar events in my own life that I would have liked to change... and I had to wonder, would it really be worth it? Or would I be better off just recognizing that that's how life works...? That things happen and while at first they may seem bad, perhaps they are part of a greater picture that is ultimately far more dense and colorful.