True love exists and the little things in life matter — or so “About Time” would have you believe.

The film, starring Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson, is one of the best romantic comedies to hit theaters this year. From the creators of “Love Actually” and “Notting Hill,” it is nearly as captivating as “The Notebook.”

When Tim (Gleeson) realizes he has the ability to time travel at a New Years Eve party, he uses this power to redo his past — because who would pass up that opportunity? In an attempt to make a perfect future, Tim travels through time to find a girlfriend. After a while, he meets Mary (McAdams), who he eventually wins over, after several attempts.

But Tim quickly figures out that fate plays an unavoidable role in his life and he cannot fix everything without some consequences.

Director and writer Richard Curtis does a great job weaving the time travel element into the film without making it feel like a science fiction story. He lets real-life issues — love, happiness, death and sorrow — remain at the heart of the film, making it relatable to the audience. In addition to that, there is a perfect ratio of heartfelt, funny and sad moments, not leaving one particular part too overbearing.

Given her extensive repertoire of romantic comedies, Rachel McAdams was an obvious choice for the lead female role. She has built up a certain credibility with these roles, and delivered a performance in this film that no other actress could have replicated.

Alongside her was Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson, and together he and McAdams made a perfect pair. Gleeson remained a lovable character throughout the duration of the movie, despite tampering with other people’s lives through time travel. He also portrayed a wonderful relationship with his dad, played by Bill Nighy, which added a sentimental family element to the plot.

The love a family shares is actually very present in “About Time,” giving the audience a break from the typical romantic love the movie is based on. While Gleeson’s character was close with his sister and mother, it was his father that he shared the tightest bond with.

In fact, Gleeson learns about his powers from his dad. He is taught that men are the only ones in the family that have this time traveling ability, and they are not allowed to expose this gift to their loved ones. This adds an interesting layer to the film, but it’s ultimately not a game-changing plot twist.

What really makes things interesting, though, is that the men in Tim’s family cannot mess with permanent life events, such as birth, illness or death, because some things are just too complex to fix through time travel, thus limiting what Gleeson’s character can do.

Because of its relatable features and lessons, this rom-com should prove to be a continued success. And aside from everyone wanting to believe in love, audiences also get to experience something they cannot actually partake in through real life: time travel.

“About Time” is the perfect example of being thankful for what you have — because you can’t change everything — and also going after what you want.

Published on November 13, 2013 at 12:45 am

Contact Brittany: baruss01@syr.edu