Richard Curtis is one of the most successful screenwriters in the ‘feel-good’ romantic comedy genre. Some of its remarkable successes are due to his writing. He has only dared to sit in the director’s chair three times in order to bring the scripts of the feature films he wrote to the screens. The last time it happened was in 2013 with ‘About Time‘, a film that combines the idea of time travel with the romantic genre in a rather original way. I don’t have much to complain about director Richard Curtis, but I think he would have a lot to discuss with screenwriter Richard Curtis. The film starts from an original idea, develops it quite well for some of the time, but from about halfway through the screening I had the feeling that the author of the text had pretty much finished what he had to say and the actors and director were left to puzzle over how to fill the rest of the length of a feature film.
Tim, the film’s main character, learns from his father, the morning after his 21st years celebration, that the men in their family have the talent to travel through time. Nothing spectacular from a historical point of view, so as not to cause global catastrophes, but they can correct small personal misfortunes, such as missed opportunities with a girl they really liked. He puts his talents into practice, with mixed success. The important breakthrough comes when he meets Mary, the woman of his life, whom he conquers with the help of small corrections of destiny. And yet, limitations cannot prevent greater misfortunes. Perhaps, after all, to live an ordinary life, with its great joys and small troubles, is still preferable.
The formula works wonderfully in the first part of the film, but then it bogs down in the middle. Curtis the screenwriter seems hesitant to make his characters unhappy for more than three minutes. The conclusion is that in life, as in film, too much happiness is not good for the cinematic narrative. In addition, there are a few time travel paradoxes that beg to be ignored, but that’s only possible up to a point. Director Curtis is neat in execution but he seems to be out of ideas and doesn’t really say anything new from the middle of the film to the end. There are many funny details and quotes from other films (a poster for ‘Amelie’ – the ultimate feel-good film for example) or books, but that’s about it. We feel good as spectators, maybe even too good. I wasn’t thrilled with Domhnall Gleeson‘s performance in the lead role and, in addition, he seems a bit young for the role and a bit unchanged throughout what would be a decade of action. Rachel McAdams is pretty and likable, but the one who explodes on screen is Margot Robbie. The future star was in one of her first major roles and she overshadows the main heroine as a presence, even though she has a much smaller supporting role, making us doubt the hero’s romantic decisions. The acting delight is provided by Bill Nighy, an actor I love very much. In the role of the father he is amusing, subtle and touching, in the tasteful tradition of British comedies. However, even he cannot save the film, in my eyes. ‘About Time‘ is like a cake too sweet to leave a pleasant impression.