Film Review: In Time

DVD: In Time   7/10

Director: Andrew Niccol

Starring: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Alex Pettyfer

Plot: in a world where, from the age of twenty-five, currency is time; you must work to live. Will Salas goes on the run with a hostage to test and exploit the system. Timekeepers are there to keep order.

Science Fiction is often a tough egg to crack in the mainstream market, yet when it does break, it really does well. Successes include Avatar, Star Wars and Inception, to name only a few. In Time, isn’t a large-scale blockbuster, it comes across as rather small (hence its budget of $40 million, extremely small for a sci-fi flick), yet it isn’t the action which sticks out at all, the story is extremely well-thought out and intricately weaved amongst themes of rich vs. poor and a dictatorial reign. The first thirty minutes of the film keep you physically glued to the screen; shots of people lying in the street, the topping up of time and rise in coffee prices (four minutes for a cup of coffee!) Justin Timberlake surprisingly delivers in one of his first acting roles however Amanda Seyfried and her on-screen father, Vincent Katheiser (Philippe Weis) stand-out, especially during the poker scenes, in which close-ups of the time left for each player adds to the intensity of Timberlake’s character (Will), will he live or will he die?

Whilst the story and action scenes are good, the third act is a little slow, and little happens in the way of the story. It does however pick up towards the last ten minutes. What also must be noted is the scenery in the film; the grey, poverty-ridden areas in which our main hero lives is bleak contrasted with New Greenwich, a lusciously rich and upheld by marble city, a place that only dreams are made of.

In conclusion: In Time is a well-written film in which its leads carry well. The action scenes are scarce but executed well. The ‘Timekeepers’ add an element of superiority and scare-factor to the whole production however they do become a little tedious towards the end. Overall, a notable sci-flick, it’s unlikely you’ll want to return to it as there’s little you’ll miss however it is worth a watch.