You know how we always say "time is money"? Well, the movie, In Time (2011) took it too seriously, like, if you run out of time, you drop dead kinda serious. No second chances, no loans, just painless shut-down (death)
Okay, let's see what this movie is all about, shall we? But before them, let me take this chance to invite you to join the Cine TV Contest #132
Okay, so, the movie is set in a dystopian future where people stop aging at 25. Think eternal youth kinda thing, but no, it's not that flawless, rather than celebrating staying alive forever, this timer suddenly appears on their hand the morning they clock 25, it starts with only one year of life remaining and it counts down. From that point on, every second counts, LITERALLY.
Now, I know you're wondering, how then do they stay alive longer than a year? Well, to earn more time, people have to work for it, just like how we get paid money here, they get paid in time, you know, maybe receive it as a gift, gamble it, or steal it from others through the arm wrestling time fights they do where the stronger person drains the other’s time. Funniest irony is, the wealthy people there have centuries, even millennia stockpiled, while the poor live day to day, struggling to earn just a few extra hours. Sounds familiar eh?
Time is currency for them. A coffee costs 4 minutes of their life. Taking the bus costs 2 hours. And regardless of where they are, once the timer hits 00:00:00, they wouldn't even get the time to say their goodbyes, just straight slump and it's a bye.
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Now, let's talk about the characters and plot.
Will Salas (acted by Justin Timberlake), a poor guy who is living minute to minute, like most of the poor people in the ghetto. One day, he saves a rich man from committing suicide, Henry Hamilton, who has been alive for over a century was tired of living forever. He then gives Will a century’s worth of time before going ahead with his suicide by ketting the few seconds left for him run out. This changes everything for Will, because now he’s got enough time to live like the rich, however, just one question left, who killed Henry? Who took his time? And how will Will prove himself innocent? Only one choice left, he had to leave the ghetto.
One of my favorite scenes was when Will first entered the wealthier time zone, just like how there are estates for the rich here, yeah, they have zones for the rich in time too.
There was just this shift in the atmosphere for Will. People moved slower, sip their drinks leisurely, and casually have centuries on their clocks while laughing like rich people do, you know, the HA HA HA. Meanwhile, Will was still adjusting to the fact that he actually has time now, subconsciously walks too fast, eats too quickly because back in the ghetto where he is from, every second counts. Lol, some people noticed and called his attention to it and of course, he tried adjusting.
It’s such a subtle yet importantt detail that shows how people live differently when they don’t have to worry about running out of time, that is, currency.
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Another character that's absolute badass to me is Sylvia Weis (acted by Amanda Seyfried), the classic rich girl bored with her privileged life kind of character. Her dad literally owns half the world's time supply, making him the ultimate, top-one time-hoarder, or should we say, "keeper"?.
There was this time Will crashed one of their fancy parties and met Sylvia. She gets a taste of what it’s like to actually live, you know, the thrill and excitement of the ghetto life which she was blatantly unaware of. What follows is a Bonnie and Clyde style thrilling adventures, where Will and Sylvia rob time banks, redistribute time to the poor, and become the most wanted fugitives in a world where time is power.
Will goes from being just another poor guy trying to survive to someone who realizes he can make a change to the system. Sylvia, on the other hand, started off as this fragile daddy's girl and naive princess but she then adapts to life on the run as she as always wanted, embracing danger in a way that makes her so interesting to watch. They sure had chemistry.
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And now, the antagonist, Timekeeper Raymond Leon (acted by Cillian Murphy). This guy is dedicated to his job, wow. He believed in the system so much and actually saw himself responsible for keeping the balance, maintaining the order of inequality disguised as balance, but to him, that's how it's meant to be. And while I hated him for chasing Will and Sylvia, I also weirdly respected his commitment to his job. He actually wasn’t corrupt, he was just trying to keep the system. A system designed to keep the rich richer and the poor poorer.
In Time isn’t a perfect movie. Some parts feel a little rushed, like the chemistry that started the whole romance between Will and Sylvia.
But overall, the concept and plot is so fresh and the execution so apt. The movie makes you lowkey wonder, what if this was real? Would I be rich and immortal or running around like Will, trying to find one more day?
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Final thoughts? In Time is a sci-fi thriller that is unlike any sci-fi thrillers I've seen. It makes you question real life issues. The wealth inequality and privileges. How one incident can change someone's whole life.
I'll like to rate it a 7/10
And well, my friends, time’s up. 😉🤣
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All images are from IMDb
Thank you for reading! 🧸🧡