About Time: Review

The Rom-com is somewhat of a dying art. While we love to pine over the classics (usually involving a bumbling Hugh Grant British-ing his way into the heart of the nearest gorgeous woman) audiences will rarely turn out if there isn't anything "different" about it.

Rom-coms are, in many ways, one of the easiest and hardest kind of films to make.

Easy because they are relatively low budget, do not require the pull of a major star or studio and have a tried and tested formula that has produced multiple money-making success stories.

Hard because there are so many elements that can go wrong. No chemistry between the leads, little conflict to make the story interesting, an overall lack of comedy.

All these elements are a delicate balancing act which make the difference between a box office hit like Bridget Jones and a direct to streaming flop which even most die-hard rom-com fans will leave alone.

In short, rom-coms done well are funny, heart warming, likeable and interesting. The perfect pick-me-up after a hard day and a soft cushion to break the fall of a bad break up.

Rom-coms done bad are painful to watch and being forced to sit through them is one of the punishments I imagine awaiting me in hell.

Because of this, I usually find myself avoiding the genre all-together. Too scared of losing the lottery of an enjoyable movie going experience vs losing 2 hours of my life to cringing.

Hence why it has taken me so long to watch About Time.

Even though I can remember About Time being released in the cinema and getting a brilliant audience and critic response I have avoided it for quite some time, quite shallowly because the picture they use to advertise it on streaming services looked "cheesy" and I wasn't prepared to take that risk.

However, after having it recommended to me a couple of times and with an excess of time on my hands I decided to finally give it a watch.

About Time is an absolute gem of a movie.

It's about Tim. A young man living with his family in a beautiful seaside house in cornwall. One day after his 21st birthday Tim is called into his father's office (played brilliantly by Bill Nighy) and told that the men in their family have a peculiar power. The ability to travel in time.

All Tim has to do is go to a dark place like a wardrobe, close his eyes, clench his fists and think about a time in his life he wants to travel back to. Thinking he's being pranked, Tim is amazed when he actually manages it and is able to fix a painful night at a New Years Eve party.

His father warns him about using this power for money or fame so instead Tim decides he's going to use his new-found power to find love.

The film follows Tim through multiple moments in his life where he uses his power. Sometimes successful, sometimes unsuccessful, sometimes happy and sometimes devastating. It has less of a traditional narrative and plays out more like a string of events each affected by how Tim decides to use his power in that moment.

I didn't initially know how I felt about this storyline. At times it felt like it was trying to be an overly quirky British Groundhog Day, sometimes even using some of the same story beats like asking the girl what she likes then going back in time pretending to have a natural interest in those same things. In Groundhog Day I always found the main characters persistence a little annoying and manipulative as it seemed his only goal was tricking this woman into a relationship with him instead of them both being naturally attracted to one another.

In About Time I did not have this problem because from the first meeting between the main characters there is a natural chemistry. He does not have to try again and again and again to win her over because it's been established that they are a good match for each other from the beginning. Even though he struggles to win her back after accidentally erasing their first meeting the time travel element does not feel manipulative, it feels sweet and provides some good comedy moments.

The second half of the film I thought was excellent and highly re-watchable. If a film can make me cry then I consider it to be a good film. It means that the acting, writing and drama are all working together to make an emotionally impactful piece of cinema.

While I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone who actively hates rom-coms I highly recommend it to skeptics or those like me that enjoy them if done well. All the elements of a good rom-com are there with just enough difference to make it something special.

7/10