Richard Curtis’ About Time is far and away the romantic comedy I’m most looking forward to seeing this year. Curtis has written some of the greatest films in the genre of all time, and made a brilliant directorial debut with Love Actually. So needless to say, I can’t wait to see his third feature behind the camera.
Last month brought with it a great first trailer, which was soon followed by a new US trailer and the first poster. And now we’ve got the UK quad poster to share, which is similar to the American one-sheet, but also asks the question, ‘What if every moment in life came with a second chance?’
The night after another unsatisfactory New Year party, Tim’s 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. Sadly, that turns out not to be as easy as you might think.
Moving from the Cornwall coast to London to train as a lawyer, Tim finally meets the beautiful but insecure Mary (Rachel McAdams). They fall in love, then an unfortunate time-travel incident means he’s never met her at all. So they meet for the first time again—and again—but finally, after a lot of cunning time-traveling, he wins her heart.
Tim then uses his power to create the perfect romantic proposal, to save his wedding from the worst best-man speeches, to save his best friend from professional disaster and to get his pregnant wife to the hospital in time for the birth of their daughter, despite a nasty traffic jam outside Abbey Road.
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. There are great limits to what time travel can achieve, and it can be dangerous too.
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.
Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson lead an excellent cast, starring alongside Curtis’ frequent collaborator Bill Nighy, as well as Tom Hollander, Margot Robbie, Lydia Wilson, and Lindsay Duncan.
Curtis is directing from his own script once more, with the great duo of Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner producing.
About Time will be released in the UK on 6th September. It will kick off in the US with a limited engagement on November 1st, before its wide US release date on November 8th.
