For more than three decades, filmmaker Richard Curtis (Love Actually, Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral) has crafted his signature voice in the world of movies and television, giving audiences unforgettable characters who have alternately allowed us to laugh at our ever-so-human foibles and to shed a tear at the extraordinary journeys that accompany our ordinary lives.
Now, with About Time, Curtis gives us his most personal film to date. About Time tells the story of a young man whose gift allows him to go back and relive any moment of his life. But instead of making every moment perfect, he learns that life and love are most extraordinary when you embrace all of their imperfections.
About Time is a comedy about love and time travel, which discovers that, in the end, making the most of life may not need time travel at all.
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I am a big movie buff, I watch new movies weekly. Both in the theaters and at home! Romantic comedies are not my first choice normally, but there are a few good ones that win me over. There are some that when I see the trailer, instead of rolling my eyes per usual, I get a catch in my throat and know, that that one is going to be good. "Love Actually" is one of my all time favorite movies so I was happy to hear that the same filmmaker is directing this movie.
I know firsthand how we can expect and plan for things to be perfect but they can turn out so upside-down and backwards but still make for a lasting and invaluable memory. I was going on a first date with a guy a few years ago and I was so nervous for it. He had gotten us tickets to a concert in a nearby town that I was really excited for. I spent hours getting ready, straightening my unruly curly hair and I even bought a new outfit. He picked me up and then halfway to the venue, his car got a flat tire and neither of us knew how to change one. Then of course it began to rain and the humidity turned my painstakingly achieved blow out in to a puffy mess. I was embarrassed and I just wished for the night to end.
We decided to start walking to get to a phone (this was before absolutely everyone had cellphones) and it was pretty awkward at first. We really hardly knew each other after all! It took about an hour to find someone to let us use their phone, and in that time we ended up easing into joking, laughing, and then really getting to know each other. Eventually we got a ride and help with the car. We missed the show but it turned out that neither of us ended up minding much. The unexpected misfortune of the night made us see each other in a different light than we were expecting to. We found out that we could both laugh off an unfortunate bump in the road (literally) and it wouldn't stop us from having a good time just being with each other. We dated a while longer after that and we're still great friends today, years later.
Just like in Tim and Mary's wedding in "About Time", you can plan for and expect perfection, but things can fall apart. It's how you react to adversity that really matters, and it can bring about the best times of your life!
Critics are already calling About Time "the first must-see movie of the fall" and "easily the most heartwarming, feel-great film of the season." Get ready to fall in love all over again -- with About Time. The film releases on 11-8-13.
