About Time

Before I had even watched 2013's About Time, newly bought on DVD, from what I had heard and read about it alone, I thought I might quite like it. I was wrong - I loved it. To me it was, in a word - perfect. A perfect film for me. Not least because it is a film written, directed and produced by the supremely prolific and talented Richard Curtis (who is not only one of the greatest writers/directors/producers of his generation but in my opinion of all time). Not least because it has an ingeniously sublime core concept (that of a young man who learns at the age of 21 that he, like his father before him can travel in time, and must then discover what that means for his life and the love of his life). No...these are all initially great things you can read about in a blurb. The magic happens when these great pre-cursors and provisos to a film go on to produce something that is supremely charming, funny, touching, poignant, dramatic, heart-warming and beautiful to behold.

I know I make a big deal out of the cast of most things I review on this blog...and I am sticking to that. Even more so with this film, as the cast of About Time is phenomenal; every single one of them. The central protagonist Tim, is played by Domhnall Gleeson who I, as I'm sure like many others, have seen make very solid appearences in a few things over the last couple of years, but this is the film that I feel really allows him to get into his stride to great comedic and dramatic affect. It is certainly a film he will be remembered for, and if I were him I would be perfectly happy with that. 

Opposite him is the character of Mary, played by the lovely, endearingly cute, deliciously beautiful, incredibly charismatic Rachel McAdams, whose star has been on the ever-climactic rise for years now, and About Time is certainly a glorious performance jewel in her crown.

Individually they are both great in their own uniquely individual ways, but together they present a gorgeous pair with resounding, endearing and boundless amounts of chemistry that really lights up the film, the likes of which I have rarely, if at all seen before. This pair are truly remarkable, as talented and watchable together as they are individually, and in the realms of "the romantic comedy", this duo is surely a cut above the rest.

Yet Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson are not the only brilliant About Time cast members, oh no. The whole cast make up a resoundingly awesome ensemble, brimming full of talent, magnetism and endearing love-ability. We are treated to great performances by prolific staples like Lindsay Duncan and Tom Hollander, as well as equally brilliant and very welcome "cameos" of sorts from Richard E. Grant and the now tragically departed Richard Griffiths (sadly About Time was to be his last film appearance). 

Along side all of those great actors and characters however, I must also mention the great Bill Nighy. I have been a long time fan of Bill Nighy for many years now, as I believe him to be a ginormous talent, great in pretty much everything he does, and he is now not just recognised for it in Britain but globally, and rightly so. This is not even the first time he has joined forces with Richard Curtis, as he starred fantastically in the now modern classic Love Actually. Billed as simply Dad in About Time, he is simply amazing (I really am going to run out of synonyms for really very very very good in this review I can tell, so apologies for any repetition!) Like his on screen son Gleeson, I very much think that this is a film and performance that will be a great defining point in Bill Nighy's career (though for him it really is a case of being one of a great many). He is wonderfully approachable, supremely believable (even with the notion of time travel free-flowing through this film and his character) each and every one of his character relationships, indeed almost every second of his screen time in About Time is simply lovely and powerfully majestic to watch.

 As you can most likely tell, I loved this film, and it easily goes into the rosta of my all time favourite films and will undoubtedly stay there. The iconic Curtis has done it again, rather predictably perhaps, but no less astonishingly at the same time, and the results are simply masterful. Everything is right about this film for me. Gorgeous locations and cinematography, wonderful music, superb cast; anything and everything to give a truly wonderful story. It is possible that, I might be just embracing my taste in film and am thus a bit biased, but I highly doubt it. I think if you even have an ounce of humanity, soul and openness to a wonderful cinematic story, than you will love, adore and enjoy About Time just as much as I do.