About Time movie preview review

Went to see this film this morning thanks to those good folks at ShowFilmFirst and my husband and I really enjoyed it.

When Tim turns 21 his Dad breaks it to him that the men in their family are able to time travel - backwards, not forwards - and realising that he can change things about his life, decides to use his new ability to get himself a girlfriend.  As you may expect, it's not as easy as that and can have serious consequences.

This film is written and directed by Richard Curtis and it has a feel that harks back to Four Weddings and Notting Hill, not least because the main character has a similar personality to Hugh Grant in those movies.  Richard Curtis excels at romantic comedies with slices of real life and emotional morality thrown in and this film does not let itself down in this respect.  Domhnall Gleeson (Dredd, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 & 2), son of Brendan Gleeson (Mad-Eye Moody in Harry Potter) is probably most recognisable as Bill Weasley in Harry Potter, but in this movie he seems to channel Hugh Grant.  Tim is a very empathetic character and you find yourself rooting for him, yet knowing that he is probably going to get it wrong.

After a slow start with his romance plan, he meets Mary (Rachel McAdams of The Vow & The Time Travellers Wife) the love of his life, but just because things are working in this aspect of his life, doesn't mean things can't go wrong in others. 

Rachel McAdams plays a very likeable Mary, but I don't feel her character is too dissimilar to that in The Time Travellers Wife and The Vow.  Lydia Wilson (Never Let Me Go) plays Kit Kat Tim's sister and Lindsay Duncan (Alice in Wonderland, Star Wars The Phantom Menace) his Mum, but for me the film is stolen by Bill Nighy (Love Actually, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) who plays his fellow time-travelling Dad.  His character more than any other injects the film with its emotional content and will have you laughing and crying as the film progresses.

Just like other Working Title films, this movie will have you leaving the cinema remembering to take the time to appreciate the little joys that life has to offer.

Richard Curtis on feel-good form again.                                                    7.5/10

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