“About Time” is yet another movie where Rachel McAdams (“Morning Glory”) finds flawless true love – only this time there’s a twist. Instead of a sexy Ryan Gosling-esque male lead, her love interest is a gangly, red-headed British man named Tim (Domhnall Gleeson, “True Grit”), and he can travel in time.
McAdams apparently has a thing for time travel movies, but “About Time” is a lot better than “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” In this film, Tim discovers that the men in his family have the ability to travel back in time to any point in their lives. All he has to do is go into a dark space, clench his hands and focus on exactly where and when he wants to visit.
As soon as the incredibly awkward Tim discovers this talent, he decides he is going to use it for the sole purpose of getting a girlfriend. He meets Mary (McAdams), and after a couple difficult starts, he uses time travel to land himself the love of his life. Of course, he also suffers the negative side effects of messing with the past.
The crazy concept works because the movie knows it’s crazy and has the ability to laugh at the ridiculousness. The time travel secret is thrown at the audience only minutes into the movie, and is then ridiculed by the characters as if to say “yes, it’s absurd, just roll with it.” Tim’s Dad (Bill Nighy, “Love Actually”) cracks dozens of one-liners as he explains the time travel to his son, and Tim’s disbelief is funny to watch as well.
This movie also works because it is just so weird. Every character is graceless and uncomfortable. Tim’s sister is a flighty hippie, his best friend barely functions and Mary herself is crippled by insecurity. At points their fumbling is enough to make one cringe, but mainly it’s refreshing to see awkward acting on the big screen, instead of the usual beauty and confidence.
Toward the end, the movie turns into the usual sappy romantic comedy, but the characters are endearing enough that one hopes things work out for them. If you’re craving a cute, feel-good movie, suspend your disbelief and head down to the theater for “About Time.”
