In Time Review

In Time

Alternative Titles: Now, I’m.mortal
Language: English

Genre: Sci-Fi, Action

Year: 2011

Synopsis:

In the future, people are genetically engineered to stop aging once they’ve reached 25. Time has become the currency and people have to work in order to live. Their time is written on their wrist and they can transfer their time to one another through touching. The rich can practically live forever, and the poor die one by one after continuous price inflation.

Will Salas (Justin Timerlake), a man from the ghetto, lives day to day with his mother Rachel (Olivia Wilde). After saving a 105-year-old man named Henry Hamilton (Matt Bomer) at a bar, Will unknowingly receives all the years from Henry, leaving the latter a mere five minutes before going to the bridge. Will wakes up and sees a note saying, “Don’t waste my time’. He runs to the bridge but is unable to save Henry. With a century in his hands, he decides to bring his mother to New Greenwich where the rich and old live.

That night, Will is waiting at the bus stop. When he sees that his mother is not inside the arrived bus, he realizes that she doesn’t have enough time to afford a ride home. He runs and meets her mother, who is also running. But before they reach each other, Rachel times out and dies. Filled with agony and hatred, Will makes up his mind to destroy the time system. Meanwhile, Timekeeper Raymond Leon (Cillian Murphy) is looking for Will, believing that he killed Henry.

Will goes to New Greenwich and faces the rich Philippe Weis (Vincent Kartheiser). He meets his daughter Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried) who takes an immediate liking to him. The Timekeeper arrives and tries to arrest Will. Will beats the men and takes Sylvia as his hostage.

Cheerfulnuts’ Review:

I wasn’t really attracted with the cast but I decided to watch In Time anyway after reading some good reviews about it. In the opening dialogues, I suddenly felt that this movie was going to be good. The idea of having time as a currency is scary. People really have to know time management, or else, they’ll die. This is where the rich can actually buy time, making them practically immortal. It’s pretty unique and I couldn’t wait to see how the story would go.

Despite the so-so acting, the dialogues are powerful. My personal favourite is a quote from Henry Hamilton – “Don’t waste my time.” The message is so strong and memorable. It makes me wonder if I had used my own time wisely.

I like the movie, but the only disappointment I have is the characters. Will and Sylvia’s “love” for each other isn’t convincing at all. They’ve just known each other for a few days, knowing almost nothing about each other, and Sylvia is willing to help Will, her kidnapper, with the risk of being killed? Without any “brainwashing”, Sylvia suddenly seems to have a scarred relationship with her father and even turned against him. I don’t think a rich 27-year-old lady suddenly turning into a righteous person is believable.  I wish the movie has at least shown how Sylvia has a change of heart. I know Philippe Weis isn’t exactly a good person, but Sylvia’s actions made her appear so callous.

Overall, the movie is good. It’s unusual, compelling, and memorable. It’s a must watch to anyone who wants to watch something different.

Cheerfulnuts’ Verdict:

7 out of 10 stars

Year of the Fish Review

Based on a Chinese fairy tale Ye Xian (葉限), Year of the Fish is a 2008 animated film that uses a rotoscoping technique. The actors are mostly Asian though English is the spoken language in the movie. The story is set in New York’s Chinatown.

Year of the Fish

Chinese Title: 魚年

Year: 2007

Language: English

Genre: Romance, Drama, Fantasy

Synopsis:

Ye Xian (An Nguyen) leaves her sick father in China and went to the US for greener pastures. She arrives at a massage parlour and is introduced to a stern-looking Mrs. Su (Tsai Chin) whom they refer to as “Auntie”. While running on an errand, Xian encounters a strange woman (Randall Duk Kim) who has been eyeing her the whole time. She approaches her and is told about her future being filled with bad luck. To counter this, the old woman gives her a magical fish.

As she stays at the parlour, she realizes that it is actually a brothel disguised as a parlour. She refuses to “serve” her clients and as a result, Mrs. Su punishes her by making her everyone’s slave. This marks the start of her difficult times on a strange land.

Cheerfulnuts’ Review:

This is an adult version of Cinderella but with a twist. The plot is familiar to everyone, but it tells much more than a girl meeting her prince charming. It talks about values and principles. Xian greatly values her purity. She stays strong despite being verbally, physically, and emotionally abused. It is a truly admirable trait. In the end, her insistence has paid off.

The movie’s rotoscoping made it more fairy-tale like without appearing too childish. It was my first time to watch a movie using this animation technique. It was fun and weird at the same time. I find it hard to appreciate the actors’ acting after their faces had been blurred. I couldn’t even see An Nguyen’s face (I didn’t know what she looks like).  Though I give importance to the dialogues of a movie I’m watching, I’d also love to see the characters’ facial expressions. Some viewers may find the movie too “painful” to watch, literally. It does hurt the eyes.

Despite my complaint about the rotoscoping, I think it’s a great idea. It is a risky move, but it has its pros and cons. The animation is very suitable to the movie, given that the narrator is a fish. It makes the movie appear like under the water, which is genius because the story is being seen from the fish’s eyes.

My other gripe is the strong Chinese accent of some characters. Some people may have a hard time picking up the dialogues. Being a Chinese myself, I admit that I can’t understand some of the lines. I wish the movie has a subtitle for more pleasant viewing.

Though it is a fairy tale, Year of the Fish may not be suitable for young children because of the theme. I recommend this movie to adults, especially those working abroad.

Cheerfulnuts’ Verdict:

6 out of 10 stars

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