November 3, 2013
 
From the creators of my favorite movie of all time, Love Actually, comes this British-American rom-com about time travel. While there are some obvious plot holes with the time travel issue, and some even equate this film to The Time-Traveller’s Wife, it is still a lovely film that is actually much better than expected.
 
Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson) learns at the age of 21 that the men in his family have the ability to travel back in time. His father (Bill Nighy) explains that he can only travel back in time and only the men can do it. He also explains that no one can ever know about this ability, not even his future wife. Soon after learning about his new ability, Tim decides to move to London to find a job and love. This after a failed attempt at wooing his sister’s friend. One night, he and his friend try out a blind-dating restaurant, where he meets Mary (Rachel McAdams). However, after exchanging numbers, Tim goes home to find that the man he’s staying with, playwright Harry (Tom Hollander) has had an awful opening night. In an attempt to help Harry, Tim travels back in time to fix it, but in turn, he erases his night with Mary.
 
Determined to find her, he remembers that she loves Kate Moss. He uses this knowledge to not only ‘run into’ her at an art exhibit, but also to ‘win’ her over, of course through time travel. He also uses time travel to ‘fix’ all the f*cks throughout their relationship, including the first time they sleep together, when he meets her parents and the night he proposes to her.
 
Some time after they get married, the story, which Tim says in the beginning is a story of love, shifts not just to his love for Mary, but his love for his family, including his sister and his father. In an attempt to help his sister though, he learns rule three of time travel: he can’t travel back past the birth of his children, as if he does, his children won’t be the same. And after ‘fixing’ his sister’s problems, he learns that his father has fallen ill. But even after his father’s death, Tim uses his ability to travel in time to keep his father alive by visiting him.  But when Mary suggests that they have a third child, Tim has to make a choice between creating a new life or keeping his father ‘alive.’
 
This was one of those films that I love because it’s ‘real.’ Well, I know the time travel part isn’t real, but the story of life and love is. It wasn’t just your typical romantic comedy where the main characters fall in love, break up and then get back together. It’s a love story of a man and his family and that’s what I love. It’s unfortunate that people will discount this film because of McAdams and the idea of time travel, again, but it’s really not that bad. Again, there are some plot holes with the time travel, such as when Tim takes his sister back to a New Year’s party many years back. Thought that only men can travel? And when he comes back to present day, he learns he has a different child, so he just goes back and ‘fixes it.’ Yea, a little confusing. But if you look past the logistics and take it for what it is, you really will enjoy it. I promise. Plus, there hasn’t really been a film like this out for a while, so enjoy it before the holiday season! And then go home and watch Love Actually for Christmas!