INTIME MOVIE REVIEW SERIES

The more In Time devolves into formulaic action, the less interesting it is. They run, they shoot, they kiss, they play strip poker (of the PG-13 variety), and they run some more. They make a cute couple but aren't given much more to do than play a generic action hero and his equally generic love interest. Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried, capable actors with potentially strong screen presences, are criminally underused. The 'futuristic' landscape in which this transpires doesn't look all that different from today, except that the cop cars bear a passing resemblance to KITT from TV's Knight Rider (although they don't talk). Still, when viewed on a concrete level, the concept of people using time as currency opens up some fascinating possibilities, especially when one considers that the government is complicit with the wealthy in keeping the poor so close to death that they are too busy scraping by to do anything rash. In Time is allegorical in a way that even the most literal viewer could not miss. She quickly turns from captive to accomplice and the two go on a crime spree stealing time from banks owned by Philippe and distributing it to the undertrodden. When a Timekeeper (Cillian Murphy) corners him with an accusation of murder and theft, Will takes Weis' daughter, Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried), hostage, and goes on the run. After a successful trip to a casino, he is invited to a party at the house of one of the world's wealthiest men, Philippe Weis (Vincent Kartheiser). Coupled with his mother's death, this propels Will on a journey that takes him into the 'zone' where the high rollers live. The mysterious man has more than a century left but claims he is tired of the monotony of existence and gives the rest of his time to Will. Meanwhile, Will rescues a wealthy stranger from a robbery.

Both live day-to-day and, when Rachel underestimates bus fare and can't reach Will in time to get a 'recharge' on her time, her clock expires. They look about the same age, but Rachel is 50 and Will is 28. Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) shares living quarters with his mother, Rachel (Olivia Wilde). For the rich, with hundreds or thousands of years in the bank, life moves in slow motion - forever young and nearly immortal. For the working class, it's a constant struggle to keep the clock from hitting zero. One hour might buy ten minutes with a hooker. sold, traded, and stolen by the clasp of hands. A greenish digital clock on their forearm informs them (and everyone else) how long they have until death. Then, the aging process freezes and they have one more year before they die. People live and age normally until they're 25 years old. More likely, it's in an alternate reality, a parallel universe that has evolved similarly yet differently from ours. It might be the future although, judging from clues in the story, it would have to be at least a century beyond today, and there's little evidence to support a 22nd century milieu. It's a little like Michael Bay's The Island in the way the narrative fails to live up to the promise of its back story. 109 minutes isn't sufficient time to delve into the inner workings of this society, and that aspect is what gives In Time an injection of originality.

INTIME MOVIE REVIEW SERIES

In the end, this concept might work better as a weekly TV series than as a stand-alone movie. Take away the science fiction element and this is a routine story about lovers on the run robbing banks and distributing their ill-gotten gains to legions of the poor.

The problem with In Time, to the extent that it is a problem, is that an intriguing premise turns into window dressing for a somewhat routine Bonnie & Clyde-meets-Robin Hood action thriller with car chases, heists, and gunplay. And, while his conclusions aren't as compelling as in Gattaca, following the path that leads to them is not without its occasional pleasures, small though they may be. With In Time, he is again looking to the future and wondering where another technological breakthrough might take the human race. His gripping feature debut, 1997's Gattaca, explored a civilization in which genetic tinkering rendered natural reproduction obsolete. Andrew Niccol is fascinated by the impact of futuristic technologies on society.

Intime movie review