Time travel is a nifty narrative device that many a filmmaker has employed. Offering up the chance to greater explore human behaviour and the nature of serendipity, traveling through time has cropped up across a multitude of genres. Now Richard Curtis is having a bash in his latest romance, About Time. The first trailer has arrived and is available to view below.
A romantic drama with a twist, About Time tells the story of Tim, played by Domhnall Gleeson. Tim learns from his father a secret about the men in their family: they all have the ability to time travel. Following his father’s instructions, Tim goes about reliving moments in his life to direct the outcome in his favour. When he meets Rachel McAdams’ Mary, he gets more than one shot at a good first impression.
From the looks of the trailer, About Time pulls no punches and delivers what you’d expect. While it’s pleasant to be met with a film busting out of the boundaries, the success of Curtis’ work often relies on giving the audience exactly what they want. Bill Nighy, as Tim’s father channels Love Actually’s Billy Mack. McAdams is as lovely as ever. No surprise that a lad would dally with quantum physics to impress her.
McAdams is no stranger to the subject matter. In The Time Traveler’s Wife she played the object of desire for another time traveler, Eric Bana. First time traveler (good pun? No?…) Gleeson has made a name for himself through the Harry Potter franchise, with recent turns in Anna Karenina and Dredd.
Curtis, known for the romantic ensemble drama Love Actually, steps out as director for the film which will be his third time behind the camera. His screenwriting talents are where his best-loved work has stemmed. Four Weddings And A Funeral, Bridget Jones’ Diary, Notting Hill…the man is one of the driving forces behind British cinema’s most successful exports.
About Time arrives in UK cinemas on September 6th, and US cinemas on November 8th.
