In Time Review

In Time (2011)




Director - Andrew Niccol

 In Time is set in a future world where not only are people engineered to cease ageing physically at twenty five years old, but also when they reach that landmark, they are given one years worth of time to live, and in a world where time is currency, its not very long indeed. Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) lives in the ghetto and each day is a struggle to stay alive. Usual Will wakes with around one day to live and spends the day working and finding ways to increase his time. Then one night he meets a man in his local bar who has over one hundred years time. 


 This SCI-FI/Thriller is really about the difference in class within our society's, how the few have all the wealth and and how the masses suffer because of it, only In Time uses time instead of money. Using time as currency seems an absurd concept, but In Time does a great job of bringing it to reality and making it logical and that is probably the best thing of this feature. 

 It does take a bit of getting used to that everyone is young, or appears young but the director makes sure you understand this on more than one occasion, such as his Salas' mother celebrates her 50th birthday but looks, well, 25 (or around that age). Also there are no fat people, or ugly people, in fact it seems everyone is  genetically perfect, except maybe Salas' best friend Borel (Johnny Galecki- Roseanne) who is short and slightly plump. 

 The acting In Time is not bad, except for Timberlake who just seems to be trying too hard to be a hero, he seems wooden and out of focus with the caricature at times and although doesn't do an awful job, doesn't really do the role justice. The thing about In Time is that it should be a bad film, it has the right ingredients to be, but I just cant bring myself to think it. I believe that it is the setting and story to In Time that makes it work, keeps it interesting throughout, even though its predictable. I do recommend that you give this film a chance, just don't expect Blade Runner style grandeur and just a half decent SCI-FI and you should be alright. 

6/10