Actors: Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Tom Hollander
Directors: Richard Curtis
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Universal Studios
DVD Release Date: February 4, 2014
Running Time: 123 minutes
Film: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars
“About Time” locked in my interest since it is from the director of “Love Actually”, Richard Curtis. This is in fact Ricahrd Curtis’ last film ever (which is a damn shame). The film has a stunning cast, who all give funny yet touching performances including Rachel McAdams (“The Notebook”), Bill Nighy (“Love Actually”) and Domhnall Gleeson (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 & Part 2“). Usually I am not a huge fan of romantic comedies but when I read this featured time travel, that was enough of a sell for me. “Love Actually” is one of my favorite films ever and Richard Curtis has done it again, he does not only entertain you with this film but also able to get a grown man to shed some tears. I cannot recommend this film anymore, no question it is one of the best films I have seen recently.
Official Premise: The night after another unsatisfactory New Year party, Tim’s (Domhnall Gleeson) father (Bill Nighy) tells his son that the men in his family have always had the ability to travel through time. Tim can’t change history, but he can change what happens and has happened in his own life – so he decides to make his world a better place…by getting a girlfriend (Rachel McAdams). But as his unusual life progresses, Tim finds out that his unique gift can’t save him from the sorrows and ups and downs that affect all families, everywhere. From filmmaker Richard Curtis (Love Actually), 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.
Universal consistently delivers fantastic Blu-ray releases. They really have been a leader for this format and when I receive a Universal release, I am usually never let down. “About Time” comes stocked as a combo pack with a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD copy with UltraViolet. This film is a romantic comedy, so it doesn’t push the barriers too much but the 1080p transfer is quite impressive still. The shooting locations definitely do take advantage of this format though. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio track works great with the film. I was a big fan of the score by Nick Laird-Clowes and I thought it sounded great.
There are some great special features for this release. “About Tim and Time Travel” looks into the mechanics of time travel and Tim’s ability. “The Look – Style and Locations” looks into the various iconic London locations. “The World of Richard Curtis” looks into the director’s look and feel of a film. Next up, there is a fantastic jam-packed audio commentary track with Director Richard Curtis and Domhnall Gleeson, Bill Nighy, Vanessa Kirby, Lydia Wilson and Tom Hollander. There are some deleted scenes with introductions by Director Richard Curtis, as well as blooper reel. The “Luckiest” Music looks at why Curtis picked Ben Folds’ “The Luckiest”. Lastly there is a music video for Ellie Goulding ‘s “How Long Will I Love You?”, which is such a beautiful song and adds so much to the film itself!