Monday, October 31, 2011
In Time
Film: In time
Starring: Justin Timberlake (Friends with Benefits) and Amanda Seyfried (Red Riding Hood)
Director: Andrew Niccol (Lord of War)
U.S. Release: October 28th, 2011 (Rated PG-13)
Genre: Action/Thriller
Runtime: 109 minutes
Justin Timberlake's transition from the music industry to the big screen has been as smooth as possible. He showed excellent ability in early work like Alpha Dog and Black Snake Moan, and then he was a big contributor in the awards season juggernaut The Social Network. Finally, he followed all of his previous supporting roles with a solid leading debut in the romantic comedy Friends with Benefits. There was nothing Timberlake couldn't do, that is, until now. With director Andrew Niccol and his latest science fiction action/thriller In Time, Timberlake shows us all that he is, in fact, human.
In Time is set in the distant future where time has become the new currency. No one ages past 25 years of age, and on your 25th birthday the clock on your arm begins to start counting. You have one year of time to live unless you earn more time (just like you would money). People are also forced to spend their accumulated time on everyday things like food and other types of bills. So in a world where the poor move quickly and the rich leisurely enjoy their everlasting time, Will Salas (played by Timberlake) is given a century of time by a wealthy man tired of living. While being investigated by law enforcement known as "timekeepers", Will kidnaps the wealthy Sylvia Weis (played by Seyfried) to escape incarceration. Together, Will and Sylvia embark on a quest to overthrow this corrupt division of social classes.
Director Andrew Niccol is by no means a newcomer to the science fiction genre. In his late 90's work Gattaca, Niccol brilliantly creates a futuristic world consumed by a desire for genetic perfection. Similar to Gattaca, In time focuses on a specific idea and elaborates on it for great lengths. Unlike Gattaca, Niccol's latest feature fails at successfully doing so. In Time feels forced and over exaggerated, so much so that the film loses its flare. The core ideas behind the picture are undeniably clever, yet the movie's execution falls well short of its potential. As a result, the blame lies solely on the shoulders of its director.
The film's inability to resonate with the audience is, in large part, due to its ineffective cast. Lead by Justin Timberlake and his forgettable co-star Amanda Seyfried, the movie's acting seems superficial and insincere. The star's performance is spotty and overly inconsistent. Despite a few scenes where you can recognize the actor's uncanny ability, Timberlake spends most of his screen time engaging in poor dialogue which only complements his shortcomings. In addition to Justin Timberlake's lackluster delivery, his co-stars Amanda Seyfriend and Cillian Murphy manage to set the bar even lower. Filled with poor acting and a pedestrian script, In Time is far from the creative sci-fi thriller it should be.
To the film's advantage, however, In Time does flow naturally and entertain the audience to some degree. As a viewer you'll never get bored, instead you will feel unconvinced and unimpressed. It happens in Hollywood all of the time, great ideas fall flat of their potential over and over again. In Time is just another example of this unfortunate reality.
Stars: 1 star out of 4
Grade: D+
Philadelphia Film Festival UPDATE 10/31
The winterlike conditions in the Philadelphia region couldn't keep the crowds away from this weekend's festival line-up. Saturday boasted two of the most talked about films at the festival this year, My Week with Marilyn and The Descendants. From the loud cheers heard throughout the theatres, it's obvious that neither film disappointed. And although movies will continue to show through Wednesday evening, I've seen just about everything I could. 13 movies all together, and my festival wrap up (which will include my ratings for each movie, and lots more) will be posted shortly. Here are brief summaries for Saturday's big features:
My Week with Marilyn stars Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe. The remarkable true story follows the third assistant director Colin Clark (brilliantly played by Eddie Redmayne) as he falls in love with Marilyn Monroe during the production of Laurence Olivier's The Prince and the Showgirl.
The Descendants stars George Clooney as Matt King, a backup parent who's forced to take the reins when his wife ends up comatose after a boating accident. King also discovers that his wife's been unfaithful, and the unfortunate situation turns into a bonding experience between the father and his two daughters.Even though there were only a handful of movies that I missed out on during the festival, I still had a great time. In the upcoming days I'll be giving my star ratings for each of the films I watched, as well as my own personal awards for the 6 major categories. Stay tuned!
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Philadelphia Film Festival UPDATE 10/29
I'm sitting here staring out the window as the rain pummels the ground and thinking to myself, "What a perfect day for a movie". Before I take a stroll into the city to see two of the most talked about films at the festival, allow me to recap what I've seen over the course of the past two nights. On Thursday evening, what was suppose to be a double feature ended up being a night solely dedicated to the best film I've seen at the festival so far. The Artist managed to capture the hearts of everyone at the Cannes Festival in France this year, and nothing was different at its showing in Philadelphia. The credits rolled to a roaring applause from an extremely satisfied audience. I'd be shocked if The Artist doesn't win the Amtrak Audience Award at tonight's ceremonies.
Last night while many people tuned into Game 7 of the World Series, I spent the evening being immensely entertained by two very surprising films. First, there was the British movie Perfect Sense starring Ewan McGregor. This piece of work proved to be extremely original and beautifully artistic. It was a delightful combination of entertaining and emotional work. Shortly after, I was once again entertained by a hockey comedy called Goon. The film was ridiculously funny and it also managed to be an excellent sports film. Goon displayed tons of heart and reminded us all about the strength of team. All of these movies provided a great start to what should be a spectacular weekend of cinema. Here's a brief synopsis of each picture:
Perfect Sense tells the story of two people who meet and fall in love, all while the world experiences an unknown illness that slowly destroys the human senses. A strange but magnificent blend of romance and apocalytic thriller, Perfect Sense reminds us that Love is the greatest sense of all.
Goon, which is loosely based on a true story, follows Doug Glatt (played by Seann William Scott), an unintelligent bouncer looking for his place in the world. When a fist fight lands him in a semi-pro hockey league, Doug helps rally a team of misfits into the playoffs.
Slated for today are two movies with some serious Oscar potential. I'll be checking out My Week with Marilyn starring Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe, and The Descendants starring George Clooney. As always, I'll keep you posted.
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