Richard Curtis is the undisputed king of romantic comedies. With films like Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’s Diary, and Love Actually under his belt (as writer and/or director), the man is a formidable force in making people laugh, cry, and cry with laughter. Now which Richard Curtis film is the best one is a hotly contested subject, because they’re all so excellent, but one thing I will say is that none of them hit me quite the same way that About Time does.
Tim (Domnhall Gleeson) is a hopeless romantic, but also just generally hopeless. He lives with his parents (Bill Nighy & Lindsay Duncan), sister Kit Kat (Lydia Wilson), and Uncle Desmond (Richard Cordery) in Cornwall, when on his twenty first birthday his father reveals that every man in the family has the ability to time travel. Of course, Tim doesn’t believe a word he says but gives it a go anyway by standing in his wardrobe, closing his eyes, clenching his fists, and thinking of where he wants to go. Much to Tim’s surprise it works, and he is able to go back to the most recent New Year’s Party and then back to present day again. The only limitation is that Tim is only physically able to travel back and forth on his own timeline, so he can’t go back and see the pyramids being built or even see what he’s going to be doing next Tuesday, but he can relive his own history over and over again, allowing him to make different choices and see the outcome.
Being a hopeless romantic, Tim uses this new ability to win the girl of his dreams, Mary (Rachel McAdams). However, despite being able to travel in time, life is anything but smooth sailing and Tim must learn that even with the ability to travel in time, some things in life are unavoidable.
Tim (Domnhall Gleeson) is a hopeless romantic, but also just generally hopeless. He lives with his parents (Bill Nighy & Lindsay Duncan), sister Kit Kat (Lydia Wilson), and Uncle Desmond (Richard Cordery) in Cornwall, when on his twenty first birthday his father reveals that every man in the family has the ability to time travel. Of course, Tim doesn’t believe a word he says but gives it a go anyway by standing in his wardrobe, closing his eyes, clenching his fists, and thinking of where he wants to go. Much to Tim’s surprise it works, and he is able to go back to the most recent New Year’s Party and then back to present day again. The only limitation is that Tim is only physically able to travel back and forth on his own timeline, so he can’t go back and see the pyramids being built or even see what he’s going to be doing next Tuesday, but he can relive his own history over and over again, allowing him to make different choices and see the outcome.
Being a hopeless romantic, Tim uses this new ability to win the girl of his dreams, Mary (Rachel McAdams). However, despite being able to travel in time, life is anything but smooth sailing and Tim must learn that even with the ability to travel in time, some things in life are unavoidable.
Part of what makes About Time so ingenious is the time travel mechanics at play. A lot of time travel stories get lost in the science behind it all, but About Time lays the ground rules out very plainly. Tim and his dad don’t even care to think about the repercussions of their actions unless it directly affects them, and some paradoxical issues are addressed, but it never becomes too technical. If it can’t be summed up by a very laid-back Bill Nighy in a single sentence, then it’s not a concern that Tim will need to deal with, and something you can just suspend your disbelief in.
As a result, where most rom-com’s get their comedy from putting people in awkward situations and watching love blossom naturally, About Time instead allows Tim to rehearse his approach multiple times until he finds one that works. A prime example is the first time he and Mary have sex, each scenario of which gets progressively funnier and Tim tries to present himself as the ultimate sex God.
Relationships between characters are the backbone of any good romantic comedy and thankfully About Time’s characters are endearing and mesh so well together. Whether it be Tim’s weird colleague Rory (Joshua McGuire), his housemate Harry (Tom Hollander), or his first love Charlotte (Margot Robbie), the interactions these characters share, and the chemistry between the actors is perfect.
Another key component of a good rom-com is the ability to get the waterworks going and I think this is why About Time resonates with me so well. Without spoiling too much, About Time does tackle the inevitability of death, and even with the ability to travel in time, death is something you can never cheat. The scenes in question that crop up towards the very end of the film never fail to make me bawl like a baby, and they honestly hit me in a way I don’t think any film ever has before or ever will again.
Ultimately the message of About Time is about how sacred life is, and how precious the time we spend with our loved ones is. If you’re partial to a good rom-com then I cannot recommend About Time enough, and I even feel it’s strong enough to appeal to the crowd who aren’t into all that sappy rubbish that I adore so much. With excellent performances from all of the cast, and a fantastic twist on the typical rom-com formula, About Time is by far one of the greatest films in the genre.
As a result, where most rom-com’s get their comedy from putting people in awkward situations and watching love blossom naturally, About Time instead allows Tim to rehearse his approach multiple times until he finds one that works. A prime example is the first time he and Mary have sex, each scenario of which gets progressively funnier and Tim tries to present himself as the ultimate sex God.
Relationships between characters are the backbone of any good romantic comedy and thankfully About Time’s characters are endearing and mesh so well together. Whether it be Tim’s weird colleague Rory (Joshua McGuire), his housemate Harry (Tom Hollander), or his first love Charlotte (Margot Robbie), the interactions these characters share, and the chemistry between the actors is perfect.
Another key component of a good rom-com is the ability to get the waterworks going and I think this is why About Time resonates with me so well. Without spoiling too much, About Time does tackle the inevitability of death, and even with the ability to travel in time, death is something you can never cheat. The scenes in question that crop up towards the very end of the film never fail to make me bawl like a baby, and they honestly hit me in a way I don’t think any film ever has before or ever will again.
Ultimately the message of About Time is about how sacred life is, and how precious the time we spend with our loved ones is. If you’re partial to a good rom-com then I cannot recommend About Time enough, and I even feel it’s strong enough to appeal to the crowd who aren’t into all that sappy rubbish that I adore so much. With excellent performances from all of the cast, and a fantastic twist on the typical rom-com formula, About Time is by far one of the greatest films in the genre.