IN TIME Blu-ray Review
By: MATT C
Alright guys Matt is back with another Blu-ray review and this time we have the Action thriller IN TIME.
In Time is a film you want to like. Its premise, about a future where all disease is cured, but life is now measured by how much ‘time’ you have accrued on your arm, is something right out of Gattaca. In fact, Andrew Niccol, who wrote and directed In Time, also wrote Gattaca. So, why does In Time fail to impress? Read on to find out.
The Movie - 3.5/5
As I said, In Time has all the best intentions. It sounds and looks great, gives cinematic nods to other films, and is fairly well cast; but in the end it looks more like Robin Hood meets Bonnie & Clyde than anything original. Our story centers on poor factory worker Will Silas (Justin Timberlake) who is only a few hours away from death every day. This is the life in the ghetto zone of Dayton and Silas is a victim of the government: with all disease wiped out, humanity has been left with an ever-increasing population that it cannot be feed, thus the idea of 'buying' time in order to continue living. You do catch a break until you’re 25, which is when your 'time' begins ticking, which displays an eerie yellow glow on your forearm. Want to add time to your 'clock'? Just purchase more by working – of course the government structure continues to raise prices and lower wages, ensuring that people like Silas can never improve their lives. Of course, the rich can live forever under this scheme, and thus the social warfare machine rages on. Society is divided into zones, with the rich living contented and nearly immortal lives in New Greenwich, while the poor receive 'handouts' at a local mission in Dayton. Silas’ mother, played by Olivia Wilde (Tron: Legacy) is just another blip: she’s always late on the rent, with not enough 'time' to pay. Just like everyone else, mom has her looks frozen at 25, thus making her a very attractive 50. When Will rescues the wealthy Harry Hamilton (Matt Bomer, White Collar) from a lot of thieves appropriately called The Minutemen, Harry realizes he can no longer survive under this structure; he's already 105 with an arm filled with more than 100 years of life remaining. After they escape, Harry commits suicide, but not before transferring to Silas all of his remaining years. All Silas can do is read a warning which Hamilton has written in the window: "Don't Waste My Time." It’s these clichés which litter In Time eventually leaving one to expect them like a poorly-thrown roundhouse. The authorities suspect murder over suicide, and a manhunt for Silas begins, led by The Timekeeper Ramon Leon (Cillian Murphy, Batman Begins). He's an old-school cop trapped in the body of a 25 year old, and his gum chewing, short attitude with people has been his trademark for 50 years. When Wilde runs out of time and dies in his arms, Silas decides it's time to break the system.
Silas leaves Dayton and meets Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfired, Mamma Mia!), whose father manages time for New Greenwich zone. She’s only 27 ('2 years past 25' as she calls it), but is dying to meet a bad boy, since no one in Greenwich takes chances for fear of losing time. Silas and Weis fall in love, and decide to steal time from her dad’s side business of selling your valuable for time. It’s here where our story turns sour: we degrade into the standard chase story, with Leon chasing the pair as each new robbery leads to more time for Dayton’s downtrodden. Rather than taking this into unexpected territory, we are resigned instead to the fact that Silas and Weis will figure things out. There simply is no buy-in at this point; therefore, we don’t have any investment in the characters. If Niccol has ‘look’ down (cool clothes, Gattaca-like 60’s sedans and souped-up police cars), he totally misses story. The cracks turn to gaping holes when our duo realizes that no time in the world can save Dayton or anyone else. The government can simply raise the cost of things to counterbalance any changes. Rather than seeking out the scientists who made people immortal, or somehow tricking the system, which would have been far more interesting, Silas and Weis simply steal more time.
Another issue with In Time is the lack of time our characters have to tell us their stories. Had this film been another 15 minutes longer, we might have seen a real resolution than the one we got. Seyfried was a poor choice, and even Timberlake seems out of place here. He’s never done it for me as an actor, and a story of this type requires a certain stage presence that he simply does not have. Even Murphy's tired cop routine gets…well…tiring, and his death is more like a needed relief than a surprise. I wanted to be more invested in these characters, but too many errors in execution leave this story flat.
The Video - 4.5/5
If In Time dies a slow death from critical errors of story and execution, it exceeds in its transfer to Blu-ray. Presented in 1080p/AVC encoding, the film offers a beautiful, sharp, and crisp colors with vibrant detail. Weis’ dresses, her father’s tailored suits, and stark lighting of their mansion stand out next to Timberlake’s unshaven face. Street detail in both ‘zones’ is also good: Dayton is the old, dirty, factory town, surrounded in a brown palette that wraps the viewer in its misery. New Greenwich is colorful but precise, with clean streets and glass buildings which shine in this. I’m happy that the film received such a nice transfer, and In Time should look good on almost any hi-def platform.
The Audio - 5/5
In Time is features a lossless audio track in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Dialogue is clear, and environmental effects wrap the audience effectively. It’s not like watching Transformers, but the track does its job. Among the highest recommendations is Craig Armstrong's soundtrack, which is one of the best of the year so far. He mixes strings, piano, and electronic keyboards, delivering soft when needed and tough during chase scenes. It’s an excellent soundtrack, and the DTS transfer really allows the soundtrack to move effectively throughout the movie. I highly suggest purchasing this soundtrack.
The Supplements - 2/5
As with so many films these days, we once again denied a good release of special features – the only caveat being that everything is presented in hi-def. But, the lack of a commentary track appears really hurts the product. Instead, we are presented with the following:
· The Minutes (1080p, 16:35): This interesting mockumentary discusses how scientists discovered the gene which ended the aging process. It’s fairly cool, and provides the only real background for the story.
· Deleted/Extended Scenes (1080p, 12:52): Ten extended versions of scenes from the film are featured. Nothing here is remarkable or insightful, sans the backstory for Will’s father.
· Sneak Peak (1080p, 14:13): Several upcoming releases are featured, including Immortals and This Means War and Immortals.
The Last Word - 3/5
In Time has a lot going for it. But, casting and story errors, along with a ho-hum set of special features makes this a rental opportunity at best. The only thing keeping me from not recommending it is the great transfer and soundtrack. Fans of Justin Timberlake might look past the story issues and enjoy In Time, but if singer-actors aren’t your thing, I would skip it.
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