In-Time (2011)

Directed by: Andrew Niccol | 109 minutes | thriller, crime, science fiction | Actors: Olivia Wilde, Amanda Seyfried, Justin Timberlake, Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Cillian Murphy, Johnny Galecki, Vincent Kartheiser, Elena Satine, Yaya DaCosta, Melissa Ordway, Rachel Roberts, Ethan Peck, Toby Hemingway, Bella Heathcote

Time is money. Andrew Niccol takes that credo quite literally for his action-packed sci-fi thriller ‘In Time’ (2011). In the picture of the future that this film paints, not money but time is the means of payment. And time is a precious commodity. In the world of ‘In Time’ you grow up normally. Once you are 25 years old, the aging process stops and a race against time literally begins. From that moment on, you only have a year left. You can keep track of the time you have left on a fluorescent green clock on your forearm. Everything you need, you pay with time. To survive – thus gain time – you can earn, share or inherit hours, days, months or years. However, you can also steal them. Those who are rich have eternal life, for the large group of poor it is a struggle to the death every day.

The hero of ‘In Time’, Will Salas (Justin Timberlake), is a boy from the lower class of society. He literally lives from day to day. One day, when he saves a wealthy businessman from a robbery, his life is turned upside down. The man, who turns out to be tired of life, gives him all his time (more than a century!), as a token of gratitude. Then he commits suicide. With his newly accumulated wealth, Will is promoted to the upper class all at once, where he sees his chance to sabotage the unfair and corrupt class system. However, he is thwarted by Timekeeper Raymond Leon (Cillian Murphy), who suspects him of the murder of the wealthy businessman. Will goes on the run and takes Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried), daughter of the richest man in the land, on his run. Where she initially struggles, the two soon become partners in crime.

‘In Time’ naturally has a fascinating premise: how would we behave if time were literally our most precious commodity? In fact, this is actually the case, although we hardly think about it. Why Niccol does so little with this interesting fact is a mystery. After a promising first half hour, ‘In Time’ gets bogged down in an uninspired action hiccup that has garishly borrowed from ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ and ‘Robin Hood’. Little is left of the intriguing premise; the second half of the film revolves around robberies, shoot-outs, and chases. Nothing we haven’t seen before and better. The fact that the script is full of plot holes doesn’t really help either.

You don’t have to watch a movie like ‘In Time’ for the acting, although Justin Timberlake comes a long way with his natural charm. As an action hero he is reasonable, but as soon as emotions are appealed to, he falls through the basket. In that regard, the former pop singer still has a lot to learn. The entire cast doesn’t have to go too deep with a superficial script like this. The only thing that keeps ‘In Time’ somewhat intact is the spectacular look of the film. The camera work is by none other than Roger Deakins, resident cinematographer of Ethan and Joel Coen. He knows how to create a world that looks a lot like ours, but still generates an eerie feeling. His world is stylized, sober and cold. The fact that Deakins interfered with this production makes the mediocre ‘In Time’ still a bit watchable.