In Time

A concept is only as good as its execution. A filmmaker can have an fundamentally, great concept paired with a exceptional truth and completely miss the mark with the engineering. I feel as if that is what happened with Andrew Niccol’s “In Time”. Presenting well known faces like Justin Timberlake (Who just got off the accoladed “Social Network”)with Amanda Seyfreid and Cillian Murphy in this fast paced, action flick; this film had a lot going for it and got placed modestly in the 5th position of top grossing films this last week. Of course it had to compete with “Tower Heist” and who can deny Antonio Banderas’ alluring voice coming out of a cuddly cat with boots. “In Time” is a futuristic sci-fi about the time when the human race finally discovers how to live forever. Throughout a good portion of this movie, I questioned whether this was actually our world or not. There was something so alien about the architecture of the people and the way they acted that I felt like I was watching this story unfold in “a galaxy far far away”. It wasn’t until I saw this ginormous map of the U.S. time zones did it affirm in me where this was all taking place. I would have to applaud the designers of the this production for their achievement of traveling the audience into this completely new world where time is the currency. And what a strange yet amazing notion. I was challenged to imagine a world (our world actually) where time was so preciously spent and traded. Of course then I automatically come to realization that time is already a commodity.

That is where the theme lies. The antagonist in this film says something so peculiar about half-way into the film. He says, “I only care about what I can measure, hours and days.” I found this a very convicting statement, for what do we care about in this culture? In this nation? I have to confess that I see that statement so prominent in everywhere I look.

However, for the concept of the film being truly groundbreaking the story did not execute for me as a viewer. I enjoyed the film, although I feel that this filmmaker Niccol had a great idea going for him and he spoiled it on a large budget. The story didn’t need the six chase scenes and the big faces (especially J.T. *gasp). A concept where I feel that Niccol had to feed his audience a lot of special effects, pretty faces, retarded puns, and various other pleasures to get them to see his message. I’ll end with a statement that J.T.’s character shouts near the end of the film. It certainly shook me, and I am still trying to fend off a slight offense I took from it. “No one should be immortal if even one person must die.” A great film concept challenges you to think, however that concept is also only as good as it’s execution.