Review - About Time

About Time is a romantic comedy that, for me, stands head and shoulders above many of the generic romantic comedies of recent years.

It is charming, funny and smart which is no surprise when Richard Curtis has both directed and written the film.

I am not a massive fan of romantic comedies but About Time had two things going for it that made me think it would be different this time.

First of all, the story was refreshing and kept me wondering as to what was going to happen next. Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) finds out from his father (Bill Nighy) that all the men in his family have the ability to time-travel. Out of luck in the dating department, Tim decides to use his gift to find himself a girlfriend. 

Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) and his father (Bill Nighy) go back in time

It isn't long before Tim meets Mary (Rachel McAdams) and uses his gift to make her fall in love with him. Going back in time to correct mistakes on dates with Mary works a treat for Tim. This isn't just a tale of boy meets girl, this is a tale of boy meets girl over and over and over again.

Of course there are bumps and bruises along the way, as in any relationship, but Tim soon finds out that overusing his gift can have serious consequences on not only his own life but the lives of others as well.

The other thing I enjoyed in About Time were the performances. The key to a good romantic comedy is having a like able actor and actress in the lead roles. Get the casting of one of them wrong and it could be horrible to watch. Good thing About Time has Gleeson and McAdams at its disposal. 

Gleeson plays the awkward young man looking for love so well and believe you me there are some very awkward moments in this film. There were points that had me cringing so much in my seat. McAdams delivers a cute performance as Mary that adds to the charm of the film. Put it this way, she is much more likeable here than in The Notebook.

Bill Nighy is funny as Tim's dad but special mention has to go to Tom Hollander as Harry. Harry is a playwright who Tim lives with when he first moves to London and he has some very cynical views on life. Hollander delivers the cynical blows with great comic timing and had the funniest scenes in the film in my opinion.

About Time is not a game-changer in any way and there are many cliches that come with the romantic comedy genre but it is a film that will charm you and make you think that there are some people in the world of film that is willing to do things a little bit differently.

Verdict: 3.5/5