Sunday, March 11, 2012

Review: In Time

In Time

Directed by Andrew Niccol

Starring
Justin Timberlake as Will Salas
Amanda Seyfried as Sylvia Weis
Cillian Murphy as Raymond Leon
Olivia Wilde as Rachel Salas
Alex Pettyfer as Fortis
Vincent Kartheiser as Philippe Weis
Johnny Galecki as Borel
Collins Pennie as Jaeger

At the risk of being to flip with this movie review, how many people remember Logan’s Run. For the most part that movie was about a society where people only lived until I think it was 25. At that point, a flower in their hand would change indicating that they should report to voluntary euthanasia areas where some mystical dance would take place and they would be pleasantly terminated. But Logan (an enforcer of all things) fails to report for voluntary termination and “runs”, has various adventures, returns and society realizes the error of its’ ways.

In Time has that feel at first. People timing out, running for time, earning time, no on has enough time.

Will Salas is living from day to day until he rescues the mysterious Henry Hamilton who has a whole century on his clock. Because you see, everyone in truth is immortal, but the argument is that if everyone lived forever there would be widespread famine and riots, so everyone has a clock that how much time they have to live. If it zeros out, you die. Rich have centuries of time and the poor have hours or minutes. Beggars beg for spare minutes. But Henry Hamilton rocks Will Salas’ world view when he tells Will that there is more than enough of everything for everyone. Gives Will a century and proceeds to commit suicide by timing out.

The balance of the movie is Will trying to make the time rich pay for the death of his mother and father and or running from the time enforcers in a Bonnie and Clyde type of mentality when he teams up with the daughter of a powerful time broker.

For the most part the movie takes no real chances. Its a by the numbers movie that could be any futuristic or otherwise movie about a person from the other side of the track, constantly at odds with whatever government is in charge, winds up teaming up with a disenfranchised boy/girl from the well to do who happens to know many inside secrets with which they are successful or not in changing the status-quo.

The movie’s locals and sets are good at inferring the mood, but again very simplistic. The people that inhabit them are equally simplistic. Dark angry and desperate for the slums, clean, cheerful and carefree for the well to do.

The movie at times is hard to watch for just this reason. Poor ignorant boy in a restaurant doesn’t know what fork to use..... Time cop born in the ghetto ashamed to admit his roots and on and on. Action chase scenes are ok though. But overall the movie barely rates a 7

As for extras....well, no commentary, but can’t say I am surprised. There are deleted scenes and a faux documentary which in truth is better than the movie! Other than that it’s just previews and trailers. Worth an 8 just for the “documentary” which gives us a 15 or 7.5 overall. if it is just for a diversion, yeah its ok, but if its to watch a good sci fi flick...don’t bother.

Wikipedia article  In Time's Casino Website

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