In Time Movie Review – It’s time well spent

By Julian Virgona

Last weekend, I ended up seeing In Time twice, which I was planning to review anyway, but seeing it twice makes it all the more convenient. So the first thing you should know is that it’s definitely worth sitting through twice! In Time is an action, science-fiction, thriller movie directed and written by Andrew Niccol and released on 27^th of October 2011. The film stars Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried and Cillian Murphy.

In Time is set in the near future, where everyone in the world stops aging at twenty-five. However, these people walk around with thirteen digits on their arm, representing how much time they have left to live. Once your clock hits zero, you die. The rich practically live forever, managing to carry over nine thousand years on their wrist and living in the luxurious sector, or ‘Time Zone’, of New Greenwich. The poor however, die young. Those who live in the ghettos of Dayton, the lowliest of the ‘Time Zones’ the country is divided into, are constantly facing rising taxes as the price of living goes up. This, along with time robberies and murder, forces these people to live day by day, constantly checking their watches and trying to make enough time to live for another day through labour and commercial loans. These people often have no less than a day on their watches.

Will Salas, played by Justin Timberlake, is the main character of the movie. His adventure begins when he meets the one hundred and five year old Henry Hamilton. Hamilton is tired of living and gives Will the century on his watch, and soon dies. Will uses this time to escape the ghettos and travels to New Greenwich, where he plans to take down the rich, by corrupting the entire economic system of time. However, Will is soon framed for the murder of Hamilton and goes on the run with Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried), the rich daughter of a highly recognised figure of the world, Philippe Weis (Vincent Kartheiser), from the police known as ‘Timekeepers’, led by Raymond Leon (Cillian Murphy). Constantly on the run and avoiding arrest, plans, awesomeness and love ensures.

I really liked story of In Time. It is full of epic moments and even a few funny ones. Though some little bits and pieces can get a little bit confusing, it’s not enough to completely ruin the movie for you. One of my favourite parts was when Will and another character had what is simply known as a Fight, where two people battle to drain each other of their time. It’s kind of like a life or death arm wrestle, since to transfer time, you touch somebody’s wrist against your own. Another of my favourite parts is in the trailer (above) when Philippe is introducing his mother-in-law, wife and daughter and they all look exactly the same age. But these are just two of many. 

As for the actors, I think each and every one was perfect for their role. The entire movie was acted out magnificently, even the smaller parts, making the viewer feel the suffering the poor go through as well as the luxury the rich live in. I was extremely surprised at how much I loved Justin Timberlake and how perfect he was for the main role. I honestly couldn’t really picture anyone else in his part. The only gripe I have with the acting is that Will (Timberlake) and Sylvia’s (Seyfried) romance felt a little bit forced. You are left wondering how Sylvia fell for Will, especially after he kidnaps her…

Oh, and the characters always seem to be running in heels, especially in dire situations. Running from the cops? Running in heels. Running to save your life because you only have a few seconds to live? Running in heels. You name the situation and they’re running in heels. However, this and the romance are really the only things I didn’t like or found ridiculous in the movie. What I really love the most about the movie is the entire concept.

It’s just so cool, the whole idea and the way it is presented. The green glowing watches imbedded into their skin that determines how long they have to live is smart enough, but the fact that time has replaced money is very enjoyable to watch. Hearing the characters complain about coffee going up to three minutes a cup from two minutes and hearing the bus driver say ‘Two hours for the ride’ brought a grin to my face and no doubt did for many others. Also, as cruel as this sounds, I found it cool the way the characters die or ‘Time Out’ as when their clock hits zero they bulge forward and collapse. I don’t know why, I just liked that.

In conclusion, In Time was yet another amazing movie to be released this year. It’s a marvellous experience with such a clever concept and great acting. The movie as a whole has very few flaws and the story is so epic and fun to watch, I, and no doubt you will, have no problem wanting to watch it twice in one weekend.

I’d highly recommend this movie to anyone, but especially those who like science-fiction movies full of action with a smart, original concept. 4 Stars

 

Got some spare time? Take a look at the Official In Time Website

Student Says…

Hello again everyone! So terribly sorry the blog hasn’t been doing much… but it is about time we changed that!

What is change? Is it a word, meaningless and defunct in today’s modern era of mediocrity and routine? Is it a memory, a haunting reminder of days long gone past where pioneers and entrepreneurs were among humanity’s greatest heroes? Or is it something to be feared and persecuted in today’s world, where self-preservation at all costs is the status quo.

I should certainly hope not. Change is the law of life, sometimes even the law of death. The dinosaurs learnt that lesson posthumously, much to their misfortune. At not one point in the history of our Earth has it been the same as it was before. Our planet changes, and by our very nature, so do we. So why do we repress this nature? It has benefited us since the dawn of time, and yet we repress it, as though it were a cancerous tumor to be removed from the body.

Since the dawn of humanity’s sentient thought, adapting to change, and sometimes creating changes, has been our very way of life. Don’t believe me?

• Man is cold; man discovers way to harness fire for heat and light.
• Man cannot carry enough food; man builds machinery to transport it.
• Man craves entertainment; he sings, dances and plays with others.
• Man questions his existence, man thinks and adapts his view of the universe.

All these things have been beneficial to us since the beginning of human-kind’s reign on this planet. And yet, there are those amongst us who always choose to resist change, those of us who would choose to remain in mediocrity for eternity, rather than suffer in the short-term for a greater future. These humans, for they are just that, are often fearful of losing what they have gained. They become greedy, jealous, and superficial, paranoid and egomaniacal. Sadly, those of us who stand to lose the most from change, are often those in the greatest position to oppose it. This has been demonstrated consistently throughout history.

• Galileo proves that the Sun does not orbit the Earth, as the Church decrees, rather it is the exact opposite. The Church try to kill him.
• Russians displeased with the Soviet States try to move away to start their own life, free from bureaucracy and oppression. The Red Army kills them.
•  African-Americans campaign to receive equal rights in America. Everyone else tries to kill them.

Are you starting to see the pattern here? History has demonstrated that, not only is change met with fierce opposition from many people, but also that the change is almost always for the better. It doesn’t even need to be as drastic as the examples above. A man may change his eating habits because he does not want to have a heart-attack. A change for the better, don’t you think? And yet, why does our society insist on being the most mediocre it can be… without overachieving, of course.

Many members of society are aware of the mediocre routines they have fallen victim to. Many, in an attempt to combat this, have scheduled every minute of their lives so that they are doing something at the time. All this does is make you more tired when your alarm goes off the next day. It encourages us to become the mindless automatons that perform well, but not worthy enough of any praise, that the corporations want us to become. A society of zombies; walking and talking just like humans, but with no brains to speak of, marching off every morning to their grey, bland and tasteless monoliths, imposing their mediocrity on even the planet itself. This isn’t a future. It’s a graveyard of man.

This same attitude is sometimes applied to education, one aspect of government which should really be hindered with as little red tape as possible. The attitude of “Make sure they pass the test once” is creating a generation of mediocrity, where it is more than acceptable to merely “have a go” than it is to “be the best”. Am I the only one shocked by this approach? Add to that, the policy of “have a go” forces people with a genuine talent, those who have the potential to become the pioneers of our generation, to the back of the queue, behind those less-suited to fulfill the roles given to them, but are only given them out of principle. “Everyone should have a go”. Balls to that. Would you tell a heart-surgeon to wait outside the operating room while the newest intern attempts to perform a double-bypass? No! Then why does this principle apply to our life? Yes, we have a duty to let those with less experience learn and grow. But one does not teach a child to swim by kicking them into the ocean and telling them to “swim back”, do you?

The greatest pioneers were the ones who dared to dream of something impossible being made possible. Who, no matter the opposition from The Authorities, accomplished their dreams, forged their own path, and made the world a better place. Who found new lands, discovered new things, created new machines and sparked the imaginations of the next generation. These are truly heroes of humanity. Where are our current pioneers? The ones who dare to dream about reaching out into the stars and one day waking up to not just an entirely new vista, but a completely different atmosphere, as man claws it’s way to its rightful place in the stars. Of worlds free from disease, of new gadgets and gizmos, and the writers, artists, performers and mentors who will inspire the children to create better worlds for themselves.

Where are these people? Not in our Governments, that is for sure. Not in the bureaucracy that controls every waking minute of our lives, moving us around with red tape, like pieces in a game that no-one understands but those who play it. The most creative, inspirational or pioneering any of these people has done is manipulated their own bureaucracy to get something done (no mean feat at all). Are these the pioneers our youth are to aspire to be?

Some may read this article and label me an Anarchist. While I have certainly entertained the notion of no-one being able to tell someone else what to do, the idea falls apart the moment humans are factored into the equation. I merely believe that humanity should be shooting for the stars, not hoping to get into orbit.

Nonconformance rocks!

Hey! Welcome to the new blog, Anticlockwise! This blog, run by the 3 original members of the original blog, to finally establish this blog as a truly STUDENT blog, independent of the librarians. The original blog is still running, and can be accessed here: http://readingnow.wordpress.com/ 
However, student posts on that blog will cease to be posted on the old blog, as we now have a NEW blog, which you are… reading… now…
Anyways, enjoy!
That Stranger.