2009 | LIONSGATE | UK | ENGLISH | NOT RATEDCOLOR | WIDESCREEN (1.85:1) | RUNTIME: 1 hr 23 mn
A.K.A.: Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel
PRODUCER: Neil Peplow and Justin Anderson Smith
DIRECTOR: Gareth Carrivick
SCREENPLAY: Jamie Mathieson
CAST: Chris O'Dowd, Dean Lennox Kelly, Marc Wootton, Anna Faris, Meredith MacNeill, Ray Gardner, Nick Ewans
ORIGINAL MUSIC: James L. Venable
CINEMATOGRAPHY: John Pardue
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Kave Quinn
Time travel has long been a staple of British science fiction, from The Time Machine and Sapphire & Steel to Crime Traveller, Life on Mars, and of course, Doctor Who. So if anyone is due to have a few laughs at the whole idea, it's the lot across the pond. This sci-fi comedy was the feature-film debut of veteran TV comedy director Gareth Carrivick. The initial time period is never mentioned, so the story presumably takes place in present day London, circa 2009.
Sci-fi geek Ray (The IT Crowd's Chris O'Dowd) has just been sacked from his job at the amusement park. He joins his two friends, fellow nerd Toby (Marc Wootton) and smart-ass cynic Pete (Dean Lennox Kelly), for a few pints at the local pub. While fetching the next round, Ray is confronted by the plucky Cassie (Anna Faris), who claims to have traveled from the future. Cassie says she's on assignment to repair time leaks, but stopped in to meet "Ray the Great."
He instantly assumes she's part of a prank being pulled by his friends, who tease him for constantly talking about time travel. Ray challenges her claim by citing the chaos theory concept of sensitive dependence on initial conditions, or the butterfly effect. She dismisses any impact that her meeting with him will have on history, since "everyone knows you're obsessed with time travel, so no one will believe you when you tell them about this." Recounting the incident back at the table, Ray is ridiculed by Toby and Pete. The two deny any knowledge of a set-up, and suspect he's actually putting them on instead.
Their skepticism soon gives way to confusion and panic, as Pete inadvertently discovers a time portal in the pub's restrooms. Before you can finish singing "Total Eclipse of the Heart," the trio get themselves lost in time. Faced with a chronological conundrum, they must avoid any paradox-laden encounters with their doubles from the immediate past, as well as the unknown dangers of a post-apocalyptic future London. Cassie (or more accurately, various versions of Cassie from different points in the future) tries to rectify the boys' dilemma, but just ends up adding further wrinkles to the space-time continuum.
This film is an entertaining effort that has some fun with the time travel sub-genre. The humor is sharp, though occasionally a little forced. Written by U.K. stand-up Jamie Mathieson, it has a lightweight quirkiness that brings to mind Edgar Wright's work with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Spaced and Shaun of the Dead). The script is loaded with winks at sci-fi culture, from conversational references to full-on movie quotes snuck into characters' lines. Pay attention for nods to Doctor Who, Star Wars, Back to the Future, Aliens, and Flash Gordon.
There are a couple of intriguing ideas tossed in among the script's jokes. Cassie, the American time leak repairwoman, explains to Ray that her time travelling ability is hard-wired into her bones via some sort of polymer composite. These biotech time machines are standard issue in her line of work, and the time jump is activated Bewitched-style with an exaggerated cock of the head. She also reveals that there are outlaw groups of time travelers known as "editors" who try to erase people from history. Some even aim to improve the legacy of certain individuals by murdering them right after they've completed their greatest works -- sort of like Terminators sent back to stop people from ever jumping the shark.
The budget limitations are apparent and give the whole thing the feel of TV fare. In fact, it could easily double as a backdoor pilot for a promising Britcom. Regardless, this innocuous bit of sci-fi comedy is worth looking into if you want something light to watch after a night spent drinking at the pub.
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