Time is Money and "In Time" is Worth Both

            In a world where time is money and people work so that they can keep their clocks ticking, writer and director Andrew Niccol has produced a truly thought provoking sci-fi film. It has all the components of a fan favorite—innovative ideas and morals, action, adventure, romance, and Justin Timberlake. “In Time” takes place in the future where everyone is born with a biological clock with one year etched into their arms, and when they hit the age of 25, that clock starts ticking and also becomes their means of currency. This allows the film to have a cast of beautiful people who have the luxury of looking 25 forever. More than that though, “In Time” brings up a lot of ideas about time, living, and the status of America’s socio-economics. 

Timberlake has 25 seconds to spare to take the picture for this movie poster.

 

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox.

                 Timberlake plays Will Salas, a poor man who sees dead people “timed out” in the streets while higher zones, or classes, have people gambling thousands of years of their life away with no consequence. While Niccol is setting up the story, it is truly heartbreaking to see how heartless some are, and it forces you to invest feeling into this movie. Salas has had to work hard for every minute of his life, so it shocks the entire economic construct when a rich man with a death with gives him over a century of time and the message, “Don’t waste my time,” before plunging off a bridge. Too bad it was not punctual enough to save his mother (Olivia Wilde) from timing out. From there Salas tries to live it up in the richest zone by gambling his years and multiplying them tenfold while being on the run from a timekeeper (Cillian Murphy), or a cop who tries to keep balance among the zones. During his insane gambles, Salas meets the richest of the rich (Vincent Kartheiser) and finds unspoken chemistry with his red-headed daughter (Amanda Seyfried). Turns out, the rich’s burden of living forever makes a girl restless. The movie ends up taking a hug e Robin Hood meets Bonnie and Clyde twist when she realizes how drastic the difference in lifestyle is between those who rush everywhere because every second they have is precious, and those who take their sweet time because they have a billion to spare.

Timberlake and Seyfried on the run. Courtesy of 20th Century Fox.

            This film is a huge social commentary by Niccol in a time we probably need to hear it. It is a radical idea about the state of our economy in the midst of a banking crisis. He also throws out rich philosophical ideas like the difference between living and merely existing and the morality of what precious time we have. It gives something for the audience to wrestle with inside and out of the theater. Sure, it may not be attracting the audience that a huge blockbuster film would, but that is not the point, rather it is to struggle with the idea that we take everything for granted while some people are fighting to live for just another minute. People do not want to see the extremes in the difference of socio-economic statuses because that would mean a calling to do something about it, when there is not much one can really do to change the constructs.

            All these philosophical ideas are wrapped up in a hot people package. Timberlake takes on the more serious role of the vigilante from the wrong side of the tracks pretty well considering the transition from his last movie, “Friends with Benefits.” Seyfried is mediocre as the restless spirit, tough girl trapped in a safe and luxurious world. Her sweet persona is pretty hard to believe in this role, but she gets the job done. Murphy was most notable in this cast though as he got down to motives of the timekeeper and is astounding as one of the outside forces against the power couple.

            “In Time” gets down to the heart of multiple issues while throwing in some exciting car chases, crime, and romance to keep your attention. This may not be an edge of your seat kind of thriller, but it is definitely exciting long after the credits role. Now playing in theaters everywhere.