#bustingblocks

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About Time (2013) - Richard Curtis

Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) is told, when he turns 21, that the men in his family have the power to travel in time. A speech written by anybody other than Curtis and delivered by anybody other than Bill Nighy, and you might be forgiven for saying “No, Richard, they can’t” and going to watch a Michael Bay movie, which at least doesn’t expect you to believe the unbelievable. 

Tim uses this power to get what he wants. The obvious problems of money and power are ignored as well as the problems obvious after about 13 seconds of thought. This is a time travel movie which isn’t remotely concerned with time travel, and a rom-com which couldn't care less about romantic love. 

Instead, Curtis moves beyond his usual themes (though obviously incapable of not using a romance as his framing device) to instead discuss father-son relationships and powerlessness to create real change. But it doesn’t really achieve - or seem to want to achieve - any sort of highbrow thoughtfulness about fate. 

We have the usual Curtis stock in trade - sentimentality, implausible family members, eccentricity and a firm belief in the essential goodness of humanity, covered with a generous helping of pop music. And yet it works. Behind the surface, and the superficiality, Curtis’ film is full of joy, of the acceptance of the good and the bad times in life and a call to its viewers to carpe diem, and to keep those you love close. You believe, manipulated, but not caring about that, and wanting to call your father. 

[bustingblocks]

So let's talk about Noah. Noah is the $125 million biblical epic from Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) which, unsurprisingly, tells the story of Noah but adds in an almost psychological thriller element which feels more like an outtake from The Shining than Genesis. 

The film uses its source material, which let us remember is only 3 chapters in the Bible, as a guideline to hang a frankly utterly bonkers plot from, rather like Versace and a supermodel. A lot of the film's wackier elements, such as the massive 20 foot rock monsters (yes, really) serve to make the beginning of the film as action packed a film about a big construction project can be. Grand Designs it ain't. 

The final hour or so changes tack rapidly, allowing the actors to really use the material. Russell Crowe's Noah, driven mad from the possibility that he may never hear God's voice again, spends most of the final act doing a rather unsuccessful Jack Nicholson impression. He portrays Noah as a one man apocalypse bringer. It's an really quite boring performance, lacking much depth and any sympathy. Although much credit has been given to Jennifer Connelly as his much put upon wife, it's actually Emma Watson's performance as the wife of one of Noah's sons and ultimately the Eve of the whole human race that really stands out. I completely bought her portrayal as a woman who has seen much and expects to see more, defying God for her children.

It's mad. But it's not bad. And it's certainly not dangerous...just overlong and dull.