A Universal Picture, Written and Directed By Richard Curtis.
Richard Curtis, the legendary writer behind hits like ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’, ‘Notting Hill’ and ‘Love Actually’, brings us another romance, this time with a time travelling twist.
It’s worth noting up front that I do find it problematic how Gleeson’s character goes back in time whenever (for most of the film) to make his relationship with McAdams’ character better, without her ever knowing. They clearly love and are great for each other anyway, but her lack of knowledge of the situation is an issue.
However, all the character are well meaning and kind people that we root for, and that’s mainly due to the lead performances.
Gleeson is a very strong screen presence but I didn’t think he shone particularly here, but he does a decent job. McAdams on the other hand is a delight and is so effortlessly charming, with great comedic timing and emotion bubbling under the surface. She’s a gem.
The supporting cast all round is so strong here, with great work from the likes of Bill Nighy, Tom Hollander, Lindsay Duncan, Vanessa Kirby, Lydia Wilson, Richard E. Grant, and Richard Griffiths, and all their contributions, big or small, really help the film rise above any shortcomings.
The film is also Margot Robbie’s first major movie appearance, in a supporting role where she is essentially only used as a distraction to the lead due to her stunning looks, but thankfully her career took off later this year in ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ and we were all able to see what an incredible talent she is.
The film has little interesting in the sci-fi elements or exploring butterfly effects of time travel, and is much more focused on the emotional impact it can have on the individual, and while I would’ve liked to see the concept explored a bit more, this is never what this film was about.
‘About Time’ is such a sincere and heartwarming movie that you are mostly able to put the problems to aside and enjoy it on its own merits, especially with such a strong Rachel McAdams performance.
Rating = 3/5
Howe's World of Film and TV 