About Time

There’s only one wedding and one funeral in About Time, the latest foray into the cozy confines of British romantic comedy.

This slick effort from writer-director Richard Curtis (Love Actually) chronicles the bittersweet misadventures of a young man who discovers that his gift for time travel cannot spare him life’s troubles and tragedies.

On the surface, it seems darker and edgier than some of its genre predecessors, but it later becomes clear that these are essentially the same quirky characters and emotional ingredients just packaged a little differently.

When Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) turns 21, he learns from his father (Bill Nighy) of his ability to travel back in time, with its corresponding benefits and pitfalls and limitations. At first, the aspiring lawyer tries to harness the power to fix his own awkwardness with women, allowing him to find Mary (Rachel McAdams), an art aficionado who turns out to be a perfect match.

Later, Tim attempts to use time travel to correct problems both large and small, from finding a best man who won’t embarrass him at the wedding to protecting his colleague (Joshua McGuire) from a workplace disaster. However, he learns through tragedy that his unique skill can both give and take away when it comes to relationships.

The story, of course, is driven by a gimmick that requires a buy-in from moviegoers, asking them to care enough about this ordinary man and his extraordinary circumstances that they don’t mind the manipulative nature of the premise.

Gleeson (True Grit), the son of acclaimed actor Brendan Gleeson, has a charming screen presence but his character feels like another variation on the sort of bumbling stammerer that Hugh Grant built a career upon. His chemistry with McAdams is only lukewarm, while the scenes with the terrific Nighy are more effective.

Curtis includes a generous number of effective sight gags and one-liners, and he knows how to push the right buttons to maximize the tear-jerking potential of his material. He also includes a classic wedding montage that almost saves everything by itself.

Yet by the end, despite its good intentions, About Time feels strained in its efforts to be life-affirming and profound, and predictable in its episodic layering of dilemmas for its protagonist. It’s driven more by sentimental calculations than meaningful relationships.

Rated R, 123 minutes.