Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Justin Timberlake, Cillian Murphy, Olivia Wilde, Matt Bomer, Alex Pettyfer, Johnny Galecki, Vincent Kartheiser
Director: Andrew Niccol
Rating: 2.5 / 5
In Time doesn't get over "in time" but not exactly a waste of time either...
By Priyanka Ketkar
"I don't know what I'll do if I had so much time in my hands, but I won't waste it for sure..." says Will Salas and the reality, hits you in the face.
Time... the most valuable thing in this world and none of us value it. What if time, like money was only limited to some and was available in abundance to a few others? What if the monetary disparity between the rich and the poor was replaced by time disparity? What if you lived only as much time you are able to earn and survive as per that clock? What if the progress in science took the Darwinian principle of "Survival of the fittest", a bit too seriously...? Scary isn't it? Well, that is exactly what Andrew Niccol's movie In Time is all about.
The movie is set in a futuristic time where people stop aging on turning 25 and get only a bonus 1 year so that they can work hard and earn more years to their lives on their own. Those who are able to earn time, get added years, while for others, immortality is a distant dream. Time has replaced the currency for luxuries and necessities alike, and the world is divided on the basis of time-zones (literally each time-zone has an allocated time limit as per the overall earning of the country).
With a hand to mouth existence, Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) who has been categorized as being poor and lives in a Ghetto, suddenly finds an angel named Henry Hamilton (Matt Bomer). This filthy rich man with a clock running for over a century has come from New Greenwich and is tired of living on and on. "The body may not tire but the mind does...I am 105 and I have seen enough, I am tired of living forever," says he and gives away all his time to Will as a gesture to thank him for saving his life from the time-stealers. Before dying, he tells Will a secret- "For a few to be immortals, few others have to die..." This stings Will and he swears to make this system right and bring about equality in the society. With so much time on his hands he suddenly becomes rich and moves out to New Greenwich. Here he witnesses more richness than anyone can ever handle. Life is not so easy for him in spite of being rich as he is held as the prime suspect in Henry’s death.
What does he do? How does he manage to survive in this draconian age? Well, finally, Will turns into the modern day "Robin Hood" who steals from the rich only to distribute it among the poor. His partner-in-crime, the poor-rich girl Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried) becomes his side-kick cum girlfriend and helps him rob her father's bank as well as many other banks.
The thought behind the movie is fantastic and scary at the same time. The movie even though is futuristic has parallels to our times as well; "For a few to be rich, few others have to be poor..." that is how money works in our time, just like the 'time' does in the movie. Somewhere, In Time is on the lines of Gattaca, the 1997 movie which talks about 'equality-inequality' holding a different parameter. At times, the movie also reminds us of the novel 1984 by George Orwell and the idealistic, totalitarian world it portrays. So basically, the manner of differentiation differs in each of these cases- Be it monetary, genetic or even time-based but equality has existed and will always exist, no matter what. The thought, the premise is fresh, exciting, but somewhere the director falls short when it comes to executing the idea. The fear of having such a world doesn't get planted well in our minds and it is as if the director falls short of time and hence rushes through the story. Ironically, in spite of rushing, the story doesn't really get anywhere and the movie seems to be too stretched.
Acting-wise, everyone is quite good. Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried look stunning and really make an unconventional, yet a good couple. Cillian Murphy as the timekeeper Raymond Leon is unimpressive and so is Vincent Kartheiser as Sylvia's wealthy dad. Olivia Wilde, in her very short part, shines and so does Matt Bomer.
The background score of the movie is interesting and suits the movie well. Had the movie been executed well and had a more impactful, effective ending, it would've made for a groundbreaking 'concept-film'. Sadly, in spite of having a great cast, a good concept and excellent picturisation, the movie feels like a half-hearted attempt and lacks imagination to develop the concept further.
If it was possible, I would give 4 STARS for the CONCEPT and just about 1.5 STAR for its execution…
It is not exactly what one would call waste of time but why waste even that much time... After all, time IS precious.