In Time

In Time stars Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried.  In Time revolves around a not too distant future where scientists have somehow managed to stop the gene that allows human beings to age.  When human beings reach their 25^th birthday, a clock controlling their heart starts counting down from 1 year.  People work to earn more time on their clock and once their clock reaches 0 they die.  Time is seemingly infinite for those who are independently wealthy, but for those people who do not hold steady work their lives are tragically short.  The main character of this film is Will Salas.  Will someone rich by accident and is given a significant amount of time by that rich person.  Will doesn’t exactly know what to do with the time so he gives it to the poor who are suffering.  Timekeepers, who are essentially police who manage time in different sectors notice that Will has more time than he is supposed to.  Will suffers a tragedy and then decides to take revenge for his loss by making the rich people in this society loss everything.  Will kidnaps a rich young woman and Timekeepers race after Will to rescue her. 

In Time was written and directed by Andrew Niccol.  Andrew Niccol is famous for writing and directing another dystopian future film people may be familiar with entitled Gattaca.  In Time has a more frantic pace than Gattaca and is a futuristic Bonnie and Clyde story with a Robin Hood like twist.  Justin Timberlake isn’t given much room to showcase any real acting skills as this film is primarily an action vehicle to give him more mainstream appeal.  Largely, I think the tactic to use this film as an action picture works but there could have been room left open to have the film comment on the idea that regardless of what is the currency in society, greed is the way human beings survive in society.  Amanda Seyfried basically serves as the films token outsider and rich girl with a spoon in her mouth.  She really has nothing that makes her remotely interesting or worth any emotional investment.  The film’s emotional core is Justin Timberlake and every emotion the audience is supposed to feel has to come from him.  Justin’s character Will is actually fleshed out rather well, I just wish the supporting characters around Will were supported the same amount.

In Time is by no means a bad movie but it had opportunities to be great instead of good.  Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried are good actors I just don’t believe the screenplay gives them as many opportunities to display that as I would have liked.  In Time won’t have you looking at your watch, but it will make you wonder whether this film could have used more time to really be worth your money.