I am a massive Richard Curtis fan. I also really love Rachel McAdams. So on recently discovering Domhnall Gleeson after his stint as General Hux in Star Wars, I thought it was about time, I actually got around to watching ‘About Time’.
Personally I think it is Richard Curtis’ best film. I know some die-hard Four Weddings and Love Actually fans might argue with me on that one, but please do hear me out. Before ‘About Time’, Richard Curtis’ romantic comedies certainly rank as some of the very best of the genre. I’m not disputing that; only Curtis’ films fill me with a warm fuzzy feeling about love and how the pursuit of love, even in the face of heartache is completely worth it.
The problem is that the majority of romantic comedies follow a very similar formula of ‘will they or won’t they?’ Honestly, after a while it does get boring, and it is only because the quality of Curtis’ films that keep me coming back again and again to his films.
‘About Time’ though isn’t just about Tim and Mary getting together, it is about how Tim has the ability to travel in time in order to make it happen, and also in order to make it happen even better and better. The chemistry between McAdams and Gleeson is sweet and loving, and one of the most natural of pairings I’ve ever seen in a film. The casting was perfect for the romantic relationship in the film.
What really touched my heart though is that it isn’t just Tim’s relationship with Mary that is focused on by the plot. He has a very strong relationship with his sister Kit Kat as well, and he has to make tough choices about how he uses his time travelling ability in order to help her, but not at the sacrifice of the rest of his life.
The very best relationship he has though is definitely with his father, portrayed by Bill Nighy, who can also travel in time, and has used his ability to ensure that he has the very best life he possibly can have. For me the film centred around Tim’s two most important relationships, with Mary who is his future and his father who is his past.
I adore this film because of all of Curtis’ films, despite the element of time travel, I feel as if it is the most realistic in terms of how couples meet, get together and how we all have to learn with letting go of loved ones through the natural course of time. All of this was beautifully filmed, very well acted and one of the best written romantic comedies I’ve seen in a very long time.
A Young Writer's Notebook 