Gaby’s Movie Review: ‘About Time’ is just about too damn adorable

When I had first seen the trailer for About Time, I thought “Oh, here’s another Rachel McAdams romantic drama.” It looked generic and I didn’t believe that the time travel twist would add anything deep or special to it. The funny thing was that my mom really wanted to see it; so when an opportunity came to see the film in advance, she demanded that I take her along.

Well, in this case, mother does know best because I absolutely adored About Time.

From the creator of Love Actually (one of the best romantic comedies of all time) comes a story about love and family that while may seem familiar and edge on cliché, will still charm and entertain you thoroughly. Newcomer Domhnall Gleeson (Anna Karenina) plays Tim, a down-on-his-luck young lad who is looking for love. He is surprised when his dad, played by Bill Nighy, tells him the BIG family secret: all the men in the family can time travel. He briefly goes over the rules of it, while Tim is flabbergasted by the revelation. He doesn’t believe it until he tries it himself, choosing to relive and redo an awkward New Year’s Eve moment. Unbelievably, it works; Tim can time travel. After contemplating all the reasons and excuses he can come up with for using his ability, he decides to use it for love.

Unfortunately, time travel isn’t exactly a sure-fire way to succeed in love, especially when the match isn’t destined to be. Then one day, Tim meets Mary (Rachel McAdams) and it’s hook, line and sinker. He’s completely smitten and knows she’s the one. Using his ability, he weaves through the ups and downs of love, family and life.

Rachel McAdams has a dazzling smile, and it’s kind of hard not to blame casting directors for choosing her to take on romantic female leads. I even find myself falling in love with her a little every time the corners of her lips turn up. She has a great screen presence, and it works best when matched with a decent script and good cast.

As for her other half: Domhnall Gleeson is beyond adorable! He kind of stole my heart in Anna Karenina and he completely steals it in this movie. He fully embodies Tim affability, and the chemistry between him and Rachel is lovely. But even better is his chemistry with his on-screen dad, Bill Nighy. Their scenes are the film’s best and transforms About Time into a father-and-son story as much as it is a romantic one.

Coming out in the midst of Oscar contenders and highly anticipated fall blockbusters, it’s easy to miss out on About Time. It’s not exactly a travesty if you do miss it in theaters, but eventually catch it on Redbox or Netflix. Still, if the opportunity arises, About Time is more than worth a watch.

Rating: 8/10

About Time is now playing in select theaters.