It's Not *About Time*

Opening premise:  I love Richard Curtis films.  Four Weddings & A Funeral  -- seen like ten times.  Love Hugh Grant in it (of course).  Notting Hill -- seen like twenty times. Love Hugh Grant.  Love his roommate.  Love Hugh's sister.  Love Actually -- seen it like thirty times (the family thinks it's a Christmas picture).  Not sure it's nearly as good as the other two, but there you have it.

About Time is Curtis's next effort.

It's a disappointment.

First, it's charming, like the others.  But it's not really funny.

Where to start?  The premise?  Time travel?  Okay, limited time travel.   Yes, it could be funny.  Isn't.

Curtis is famous for funny scenes and lines -- the best man speech in Four Weddings, the Horse & Hound line in Notting Hill, the Bill Nighy scenes in Love -- but there's no such thing here.  Yes, Curtis tries to resurrect the best man speech problem, but Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) can go back in time, so...well, it's never funny.  Nighy (Tim's father here) gives a sappy little speech that might embarrass Hugh Grant.

Then there's the chemistry.  It is called "acting," so I've never quite believed in chemistry.

But Gleeson and Rachel McAdams's Mary just are not believable.  She's, of course, adorable.  But you never get that "meant to be" thing you get with Grant and Andie McDowell, or Grant and Julie Roberts, or Grant and Martine McCutcheon.  Maybe it's the fact it's not Grant.

I love McAdams.  But the promos say "McAdams best work since The Notebook."  What does that even mean?  She's been in some decent movies, but she's not a prospect for Golden Globes or Academy Award, -- yet.

She's cute here.  She's charming.  But if this is McAdams's best work...well, we can hope there's a lot more upside.

So, yes, About Time is a disappointment.  Maybe it's trying to be too deep -- yes, there's an implicit message.

Maybe it's just wasn't time for Curtis's next movie.