About Time (Film)

Curiously I have never seen “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, “Love Actually” or “Notting Hill” even though they are supposedly essential films within British Cinema. As such I was able to approach Richard Curtis’s latest cinematic venture, “About Time” with an open mind.

The film's story was told very nicely, with Bill Nighy providing exposition early on. The notion of time-travel has been used a lot in films, but “About Time” kept the premise focussed so that the protagonist could only travel back to moments from his own life. I found this to be a very interesting take on the idea of time-travel, as it made the story feel more personal and intimate. The fantastical element was not intrusive into the story’s realistic nature; it took place in the real world, and the characters were all believable. Bill Nighy’s exposition mentioned that “it’s not as dramatic as it sounds” and this works in the film’s favour. 

Domhnall Gleeson does a fine job as Tim, the film’s protagonist, and while he does at times seem to be channelling Hugh Grant, he is able to make the role his own and is a likeable presence. Rachel McAdams does a very good job as Mary, the main love-interest, and the two have good on-screen chemistry together, meaning they are believable as a couple. That said, their dialogue comes across as very contrived – and even a little forced – especially during scenarios in which Tim is exploiting his time-travel ability to undo mistakes. One other issue is that neither of them appear to age at all despite the amount of time that passes throughout the narrative.

Bill Nighy gives a great performance, usually providing humour though his character’s eccentricity, but he is also capable of effective pathos during the more sentimental moments. Tom Hollander provides some of the biggest laughs as Harry, a bad-tempered London playwright, who is funniest when he’s being mean just for the sake of it. There is also a charming performance from Richard Cordery as the simple-minded, yet always well-meaning Uncle Desmond. Additionally there are cameo appearances from famous British actors – and “Withnail & I” alumni – Richard E. Grant and Richard Griffiths (in what is sadly his final film appearance).

The film opens to the sound of Ben Folds’ ‘The Luckiest’, instantly recognisable to me even without the lyrics, as it is a stunningly beautiful piece of music. This was an encouraging sign right from the start. In fact one of the biggest strengths of the film was its soundtrack; ‘The Luckiest’ made a few appearances throughout the film, and there was also a really nice recurring piano motif that would occur at significant moments. The score for the film really elevated the emotional sequences, granting them a wonderful soaring majesty, which meant that it was very easy to become invested. There was also a nice montage in the London Underground which played out to ‘How Long Will I Love You’ performed by Jon Boden, who also played the busker in that same sequence.

Overall I found “About Time” to be a very enjoyable film with a lot of heart. It had sentimentality and it had humour, and while they were not always perfectly balanced it still made for a pleasant viewing experience.