Witty, touching, dapper, lively, superbly wise and utterly sweet, the lovely major motion picture of “About Time” is by far one of the best rom-com movies to date. It is touching, funny, and sentimental without being sappy. Not only is it my absolute favorite and not only am I a sucker for chick flicks, but truly it’s the greatest because of its substance. Its charm will steal your heart away, its wit will make your chuckle, its intentions will touch your soul.
Some back story: Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) plays a 20-something wannabe lawyer living in London who is incredibly awkward yet adorably sweet (and ginger). On a very normal day his dear father told him very some abnormal news: that he possesses the gift of time travel. After a little rumble and a tumble and fists clenched in a dark room, Tim is able to go back in the past in time to change and make life what he wants. His life is completely flipped upside down and tossed around at this epiphany, in which he chooses to utilize this special gift to ultimately win the heart of Mary (that mesmerizing Rachel McAdams).
The Best Aspects of This Movie?
For one, it’s the characters. You will fall head over heels in love again and again with Tim. He is simply darling, impeccably gawky, and the combination of ravishing and lovable and delightful all in one wonderful human. You’ll get a kick of how painly awkward he can be, yet you’ll be amused at his wit and good nature. Rachel McAdams is an adorable gem and as magical as ever; she once again captivates the audience with her charisma and charm. Kat, Tim’s sister, is my personal favorite because she’s a huge weirdo and quirky, but such a goofball with a big heart.
The footage and sound. Let’s cut to the chase. It is filmed beautifully and it’s soundtrack is killer. Ten points for Griffindor.
It’s simple and sweet. The relationship between Tim and Mary, the way they say goodbye to each other on their way to work in subway station, their catastrophe of a perfect wedding day, the way Tim cares so much for his sister… this movie is brimming with so much sweetness. The simplicity and subtlety spills over with so much heart.
The little things. So many little moments in this movie just make it that much more rare and real and noteworthy. It’s the simplicity of its intentions and actions that make it memorable, not to mention how it makes the normal and mundane look the most interesting thing in the world. Their little house in the English country side, how Mary’s wedding dress is red, how Tim and his dad get into table tennis, how they gather for tea in the backyard…its heart is in the details. The little moments are actually the biggest of them all.
The Father. At the end of the day, this wasn't a romance. Turns out it is a story about a father's love for his son, and watching his son grow into a man, with all the lessons of love that are paired with it. Tim and his Father are ever so close, their deep relationship portrayed throughout the film. How his dad is there for Tim throughout his mistakes and time travel expenditures shows their deep relationship because he is the only one that understands. Tim’s chats with his dad will remind you of your own with your dad. Their love for each other will graze your heart with thoughts of your own life. But Tim’s dad’s most impactful gift is really his wise teaching about how to use time travel: not best used for external purposes but as a way of enhancing the internal. Mastering time equals slowing and savoring life. Try not tearing up in the end when Tim and his dad time travel back to playing at the beach as savoring their last moments together -- just try.
"The truth is, now I don't travel back at all, not even for the day. I just try to live everyday as if I've deliberately come back to this one day. To enjoy it. As if it was the full final day. Of my extraordinary, ordinary life."
The bottom line. Tim’s dad’s lasting advice was to live one whole day normal, going through the motions monotonously, and then go back and live that day once again, this time living as if it’s the last best day of your life. From buckets of time travel, Tim learns much. But the biggest one he learned was to fully live and truly savor life as a whole, discovering he wasn’t in need of his gift anymore.
I’ve raved about this endlessly now but from this film, we learn a lot. We learn to fully grasp relationships and life in every form, to see the extraordinary in the ordinary, and to be dwell in the little things. It is a surprisingly thoughtful romantic comedy that shirks a great deal of reason and consequence in the name of love. This complete charmer of a movie delighted me from start to finish, and I hope it does for you as well.
