Richard Curtis’ new film is aptly named, as it’s a long awaited addition to his writing-directing. The generation before us fell in love with Hugh Grant, thanks to Curtis, as William Thatcher (Notting Hill) and Charles (Four Weddings and a Funeral). Our generation finally has someone to renew our love of shy, bumbling men who just want to find and keep, the love of their life. It’s About Time!
Domhnall Gleeson, you may remember him as Bill Weasley in HP 6/7, plays a ‘lanky ginger’ man who finds out that the men in his family have the ability to travel through time. His father (Bill Nighy) explains the ups and downs, ins and outs of his ability and manages to teach Tim, and us, that life is about finding those happy moments and to not be too scared to go out and get what you want. Unlike Tim, we only have one chance to make things right.
The script is brilliant. It’s fun, heartwarming, sad and clever that you’ll be surprised that Curtis has managed to fit all of it in to the 123 minutes! Every scene was perfect for the concept, and when it ended I didn’t feel as though anything was unexplained (which is a first for a film like this).
Bill Nighy and Rachel McAdams work well to support Domhnall Gleeson’s truly exceptional performance, and didn’t outshine him in any way, as is normal when you’re watching a film which co-stars McAdams. Though I must mention both Lindsay Duncan and Tom Hollander as their characters were hilarious, making you laugh during even the saddest of scenes.
I can’t sing About Time‘s praises enough. I loved it. It isn’t just about love, it’s about life. It’s about those moments we all know so well, the worries, the happiness of first meeting someone, and the complexities of families, of the sacrifices we have to make for those we know, and to make ourselves happy. If there’s one British film you watch this autumn, it should be this.
About Time (2013), directed by Richard Curtis, is released in the UK by Universal Pictures, Certificate 12A.
