If anyone has a handle on clever stories and quirky characters in romantic comedy dramas, it’s writer-director Richard Curtis. Whether it’s Four Weddings and a Funeral or Love, Actually or Notting Hill, he’s proven himself adept at writing (and sometimes directing) believable characters in charming situations falling in love with each other. Which is perhaps why his 2013 time travel film About Time is slightly frustrating. Yes, the rules absolutely work for a Curtis film, but when it comes to the time travel rules he sets up, he’s a lot more loose. But does it intrinsically ruin the film? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we work to figure this out in our continuing time travel series with Curtis’ About Time.
We talk about the nature of the rules Curtis establishes and complain at length about them, but make sure to also look at the film from the point of view of those who are likely more Curtis’ audience – perhaps they wouldn’t care as much. We go on and on about Domnhall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams and Bill Nighy, three people all born to inhabit roles like these brilliantly. We debate the nature of the film and look at if Curtis’ story shift from meet-cute rom-com to a much headier family drama works for the film or against it. We ponder Curtis and his insistence to use cliche movie montage tropes. And we talk about the unique restaurant concept of dining in the dark and wonder how effective it was for the film.
It’s a cute film that’s got all the feels, even if it’s much sloppier than it needed to be. We have a great time talking about it and you’ll have a great time listening to it. The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins.
Film Sundries
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