Retro Review: In Time

Writer's Note: Next up, in honor of singer/actor Justin Timberlake's birthday, here's a look at "In Time." This article was originally published in UAB's Kaleidoscope on October 29th, 2011.

“In Time” is yet another of those science-fiction movies about a dystopian future that makes everyone look up what hell “dystopian” means for the umpteenth time. This time around (no pun intended), the plot is a hodge-podge of ideas lifted from “Logan’s Run,” “Minority Report,” and that old favorite “Blade Runner,” among plenty of others. 

To wit, this future is one in which the rich stay young as long as they can afford it, with the aging process stopping at 25. If you’ve got the cash, you could be- say, 200- and still look 25. There’s a great scene, also featured in the trailer, in which a man introduces his wife, daughter and mother-in-law- and they all look the same age and gorgeous to boot. Funny, subversive stuff. 

Now the catch- and there always is one in movies like this- is that the poor literally have to work on a day-by-day basis to make ends meet. In this case, however, if you miss a day too many of work, you could die. For you see, time is literally the commodity of choice in the future.  

For instance, a cup of coffee costs a minute of time, a mere bus ride to work costs an hour, and so forth. So, time is literally money. With me so far? All of which certainly makes this a timely movie- and those unintended puns just keep on coming!  

What I mean to say is that, in a world in which people are struggling to make ends meet, where the rich who control everything make up a measly 1% of the population, and buzzwords like “Occupy Wall Street” abound, this film is right on the money. It’s hard not to sympathize with a protagonist that just want to save his mother from dying, as Will (Justin Timberlake) wants to here.  

Enter guilty rich guy Henry (Matt Bomer, of “White Collar,” appropriately enough), who has had enough of everything, and offers his “time” to Will before effectively taking his own life. Unfortunately, the authorities don’t see the transaction that way and before you can say “Time Out!”- they’re after Will. Will kidnaps a wealthy man’s daughter, Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried) for leverage, and we’re off and running.  

That’s about it, overall. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a clever idea on the whole- if nothing you haven’t seen before, and done better (as in all three films I mentioned earlier). The film wears its influences on its sleeve, and sports that monochromatic, washed-out look of the likes of “I Robot” or the director’s own “Gattaca,” which- in my opinion, at least- is a much better, more original film on the whole. 

Timberlake, in his first true starring role, after some solid supporting roles in “The Social Network,” “Bad Teacher,” and the underrated “Black Snake Moan,” is a fine, sympathetic lead here. You almost want to hate the guy on simple faith- I mean, he was in a boy band, for God’s sake! - yet damned if he isn’t a naturally gifted actor.

Going the supporting role route was smart. It allowed him to hone his craft, and at this point, he’s got it down to a science. He’s charming, likable, affable, and yes, a good-looking guy- pretty much everything you could ask for in a leading man. 

Meanwhile, the rest of the cast is aces in their own right. I won’t bore you with my oft-stated affection for Amanda Seyfried, except to say, if one was to want to freeze someone in time to look a certain way forever, you could do a lot worse than her. She also looks mighty fine as a redhead. 

Or Olivia Wilde, for that matter, who plays…wait for it…Timberlake’s mother! Only in the movies, folks- especially since, in real life, Timberlake’s older than Wilde. I can only imagine the conversation that took place with her agent: "The good news is, you get to work with Justin Timberlake. The bad news is, you're playing his mother." Lol.

Cillian Murphy, as he proved in the recent Batman movies (he was the "Scarecrow"), is an effective villain, and “Mad Men”- vet Vincent Kartheiser has always creeped me out. He’s like a lizard personified as a man, which makes his role as Seyfried’s disaffected “father” perfect casting. What a sleaze ball. You really want to see someone clean this guy’s clock, so to speak.

All in all, if you like this sort of thing, you could do a lot worse as a time-waster. You could also do a lot better, but still. “In Time” gets the job done in a timely fashion in a timely manner and in time for you not to check your watch too many times before it’s over. Whew! There! Finally got it all out of my system! Okay… time’s up.