In Time (2011)
8/10
GOT A MINUTE?
9 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
In the future "time is money." Literally. People live to 25 years old, after which time they have one year left, then they die. The good news is that you can buy time and live forever, but only the rich can do that. Everyone else is struggling to stay alive. Currency is done in time, transferred by computer chips installed in the forearm. A cup of coffee will cost you 4 minutes of your life. I kept thinking about "Logan's Run" as I watched this film.

The cliche possibilities are endless and they are not shy about using them. "All the time in world." "Got a minute." "Too much time on my hands" "Who's got the time?" "You must come from time." "Taken years off my life." "Drank his life away." "Too much time in the wrong hands..." "I had the time to buy one of these." "Thank you for your time." "The time he has taken." "It would take a million years." Ouch!

"Hey big spender, spend a little time with me." "I'd give a year of my life just to spend an hour with her." These didn't make the cut.

Timberlake plays Will Salas, a man struggling to pay the bills and stay alive along with his mother Rachel (Olivia Wilde). Will saves the life of a rich man who was 108. He wanted to die. From him we get the class warfare speech of the movie. Many must die so a few might live. Taxes and prices are raised to make sure the poor die. Like most science fiction features, they have a social commentary.

While Will was asleep, the rich man gives him his time so he can die. Rich people literally live in a different "time zone" so they don't get mugged by those who work for the weekend.

Timberlake is 5 stars in comedies, but as a dramatic actor, he was unconvincing in this role, which may have been the director's fault. Will is supposed to have passion to distinguish himself from the cautious rich. He lacks, he should have never been in that role (Keanu Reeves spoiled us). Timberlake would have been more convincing as a rich tycoon. Much of the acting was stiff by design, but that made for a bad movie. Other than the time devices, the technology was circa 1985 with no pay phones, 80's automobiles, and no cell phones.

No real sex or nudity. One f-bomb.
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