Time Lapse (2001)

Directed by: David Worth | 88 minutes | thriller | Actors: William McNamara, Dina Meyer, Roy Scheider, Henry Rollins, Barry Lynch, Adoni Maropis, Endre Hules, Cassandra Hepburn

Agent Clayton Pierce works for the government and has infiltrated a Russian/Iraqi drug trade. At least that’s what he thinks. When the briefcase is about to be handed over, he discovers that it contains a nuclear weapon. He does not change his mind for a moment, but starts shooting at random, is shot himself, but manages to flee. Just before he falls down, he can tell his colleague, Gaines, what’s going on and give him the briefcase to get to safety.

When he regains consciousness, a doctor friend wants to examine him, but reveals that his memory is still top notch. The doctor lets him go, with the proviso that he does not go kickboxing and does not drink alcohol for the time being. Less than a minute later, his boss, La Nova, offers him an anisette, a drink that tastes like liquorice. And then the trouble begins…

Clay wants to go home, but walks to the wrong car. The doctor reminds him of this fact. Even when he has arrived at home, his house key does not fit, but he still manages to find the spare key flawlessly. In the bedroom he meets his wife Kate. However, she is stunned that Clay is at her house, as they have been separated for three years! Clay can’t remember anything about this and wants to get to the bottom of the matter, with Kate’s help.

If you don’t know what the movie is about, the first twenty minutes are very confusing. The film opens with a scene where we see Clay win a chess game from a computer and then have ten seconds left to leave the premises. A huge explosion ensues and Clay jumps out the window just in time. Then time jumps back six days and we see Clay again engaged in a game of chess, this time with a Russian. He is undercover and involved in a drug deal between Russians and Iraqis. At the time of closing the deal, Clay discovers that the contents of the briefcase are not drugs, but a nuclear weapon. The film then continues until we get the opening scene again, after which the film continues again. The reason for the double showing of this scene is not clear to me. The director probably thought it was artistic.

There is not much to say about the film in terms of acting. Lead actor William McNamara looks so silly that it is absolutely not credible that he “speaks five languages, can ride a motorcycle in everything, has a photographic memory and has never said he does not understand anything” (quote from his ex-wife Kate). He looks like he can’t even “don’t annoy you” – let alone play chess! Roy Scheider has also played in better movies. The role of Kate is played by Dina Meyer, also known from ‘Starship Troopers’ (1997) and she stands head and shoulders above the rest. Henry Rollins also plays a small role as Gaines remarkably well.

‘Time Lapse’ isn’t exciting, because you already know who the bad guy is from the start. The use of chess terms and scenes seems artificial. It seems as if the director wanted to make a more intelligent film than it ended up being. Also, for example, the scene in which Clay is helped by Suzie Lee, a computer expert, who can scoop up the requested information in a few seconds, is very much sought after. For the fun of it, Suzie Lee is only made to be a lesbian, and of course Clay enters just as she is about to make love to her mistress. For the fans among us: it is a film for 12 years and older, so don’t expect an interesting scene!

‘Time Lapse’ is occasionally reminiscent of ‘Memento’ (2000), but of course this level is not reached anywhere. It’s a far cry from a B-movie, but if you’re in the mood for a time lapse, you can definitely watch this movie.