If you had the opportunity to give thousands of people a little more time before they died, but you had to give up eternal life for yourself, what would you do?
In the latest movie by Andrew Niccol, who wrote and produced “The Truman Show” and “The Terminal,” one man is given that opportunity.
“In Time” is set in a future where humans are genetically modified to stop aging at 25. To prevent the overpopulation of the world, clocks are embedded in their arms. Once people turn 25, their clock gives them only one more year to live unless they earn more time. Time has become the new currency, and people work for it and use it to buy what they need.
The film follows Will Salas, played by Justin Timberlake, a common local boy who’s been given 116 years to live and the knowledge about how corrupt the system is. Throughout his journey, Salas meets Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried), a girl who comes from “time,” meaning she comes from a background wealthy in time, and together they plan to derail the entire world from the corrupt system.
“In Time” is really a political statement about how the rich are oppressing the poor to the point of killing them for a longer life. There are many social overtones in the movie that are currently being experienced here in America and across the world, including the lack of dispersion of wealth and corruption of government.
“In Time” is really the masterful meshing of two classic stories: Bonnie and Clyde, with a Robin Hood twist. The Bonnie and Clyde theme resonates throughout the film, all the way down to Seyfried’s haircut, which was almost a mirror image of Faye Dunaway’s hairdo in the 1967 film.
I admire the writers, producers and director for not trying to go overboard in paying homage to either of the films.
If there is one thing I hate, it’s a carbon-copy remake (“The Hangover Part II” and “The Hangover,” for example).
I’ve come to expect big things from Timberlake in the acting world after seeing this film. He officially made the transition from singer to actor. He put plenty of emotion into a character that was intelligent, hardworking and, as the film calls people like his character, a “runner.”
Another actor, however, gave what was by far the best performance in the entire movie. Cillian Murphy (“Inception,” “Batman Begins”) played a convincing anti-hero. As a Timekeeper, which is a futuristic cop, he tried to stop Will and Sylvia from stealing time and potentially destroying the whole economic structure of the planet, but he was conflicted about it. Timekeepers are generally not given very much time themselves and therefore know how to live like every moment is their last.
I was weirded out the first time that Olivia Wilde and Timberlake were in a scene together. They looked to be about the same age, and possibly lovers, but Wilde plays Salas’ mother, who’s 50 years old.
Whenever someone died because his or her clock ran out, there was a forceful thud, the vibrations of which could be felt in the theater. I thought this was a cool way for the movie to connect with the audience and provide a depth to the movie that is similar to what 3-D movies give their audiences.
In the end, “In Time” is an action-packed and entertaining movie that keeps you on your toes. It nods to the classics while keeping its fresh edge.
