About Time

Richard Curtis, creator of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Love Actually, and the writer of that Van Gogh episode of Doctor Who, a British institution, a man capable of spreading warm fuzzies over scones and a pot of tea, serving it up in a couple of hours for joyous film entertainment. Basically, if you're down and feeling a bit glum and you're feeling like the world is a cruel and horrible place, watch anything with Richard Curtis' name attached and you will feel a sudden warm happy feeling.

About Time follows a standard theme, it's a love story, but it's also as much about the people around the core couple, populated with familiar tropes, but as an additional wrinkle there is the added aspect of time travel. Perhaps Curtis was so influenced by his love of Doctor Who (long time fan, great man) and decided to weave this into a story. But time travel isn't so much at the forefront of the story, as much as it is a story telling device, there is a whole load of rules to adhere to, but the time travel never really impedes massively on the story telling. It's a bit saccharine, but as I've previously mentioned, you're not going to see a Richard Curtis film to be challenged or thrilled; although there is a delightful sensation just by seeing things go right.

The film follows a formula, you can almost predict how certain things might unfold, but the film throws curveballs and delights in subverting expectations by tweaking things with the time travel allowing the main character to repeat a scene. Obviously it doesn't outstay it's welcome and the travel thing doesn't solve all his problems, and as time goes on our main character learns to live without such helpful redos.

Best place to start? Domhall Gleeson, to be from here, known as Ginger Hugh Grant. This guy is a great actor, and bless him, he is doing some great work here, but from the accent, to the social awkwardness, to the slightly squinty eyes, it's just all something a certain Hugh Grant gained fame for a couple decades ago in previous Curtis films. I adore this man, Gleeson (not Hugh Grant), he played Levin in the recent adaptation of Anna Karenina and was painfully underused (I understand why Levin's part wasn't as massive as it could have been, they basically used all of his essential moments but there was just never enough time...) and was also in Black Mirror earlier this year which was heartbreaking. As a romantic lead? He worked great, he was loveable sweet and just all around adorable... I think I'm in love.

Rachel McAdams, you are adorable, you are sweet, you possibly are the most beautiful creature on this planet, the exact lovely lady every man would want to take home to meet his mother. She just effuses warmth that woman, and is a perfect fit in this film. As for the rest of the cast? Well it's a line up of what is essentially a Curtis character countdown!

Tom Hollander is the curmudgeonly angry chap who is a standard misanthropic genius man, he hate everything but he goes along with everything and plays happy with people regardless because he's a softie underneath, obviously.
There is the main guy's sister, she's a bit batty, a bit mad and happy and quirky, a catalyst when things get a bit slow, also in a happy healthy brother/sister loving relationship, it's all good. Then there are the main character's friends, the ginger kid from Skins third generation (I nearly fell off the sofa wondering when the hell did he grow up?) and some dweeby chap he works with at the lawyer firm or something who is so criminally dumb I wonder how he is a lawyer, and most importantly if they hiring insanely idiotic people like him then either I a) have a chance as a lawyer finally using my history degree for good and not ... absolutely nothing, or b) my theory about nepotism ruling the entire universe stands tall and I should just give up.

Other thoughts? Uhhh... It's just a great film. Why? Because even though I really hate voiceovers. I loathe them... but Curtis seems to rely so heavily on them with his affable male leads - Hugh Grant usually, narrating the main themes of the story being told, just to make sure the people with even the lowest attention spans can grasp what it is the film is about. About Time? It's about appreciating what you have, living every day by just being a nice person and spreading good feelings wherever you go. Basically, be nice and happy and everything will turn out alright? Such a cliche, but people forget to just be nice nowadays it's just so pleasant to be in the company of a film which wants everyone to just smile and be happy.

About Time is a standard British film, and everything about it, from the scenery, to the people, to the situations, are all achingly charming and delightful. It's set in an ideal beautiful world where people learn from their lessons and gradually grow and become better people, it wants you to do the same, it wants to take your hand and say, be the better person! What's wrong with that? Let's all be nicer and happier! I felt so much happier after seeing this film. Sure, you could say, it's all manipulation, but it comes from a man who honestly just wants everyone to just smile and be loved, because it's the entire body of his work which says this over and over, I don't think he is manipulating me, he's just trying to share his life view. There aren't many films like this nowadays, brimming with optimism and love, and it's just really nice to know that I can rely on someone to keep providing me with them, and keep me smiling. Cheers Curtis.