More important than if this film is a new and exciting science fiction thriller is that it further establishes the new genre -- Occupy Hollywood. It's not just a Robin Hood tale of a poor boy deciding to buck the system, become a thief of the rich and give to the poor; it's about turning over the system of 1% literally killing as many of the 99% it needs to to live on the top of the heap forever. There isn't even a thin veil covering the subtext of revolutionary change required of the protagonists. For possibly the first time in cinematic history, Hollywood has seen it coming instead of catching up with social change years after the fact. The inter-racial kiss, Vietnam War, hippies, Iraq war, you name it, all were depicted in film as historic summaries of what had already happened. Writing, producing and releasing films takes at least a couple of years. But now, while today's news covers riots in the streets in front of city halls across the country, films depicting these events are showing siultaneously. 'Finally, Hollywood's on top of the issues!
We presently live in a society where if we miss two months' salary or a couple of mortgage payments, we're homeless. In' In Time,' not so much in the future, but a parallel society, Will Salas (Timberlake) lives in a time zone, or neighborhood, where if someone runs out of time which is posted in glowing lights on the forearm, that person instantly dies. Most people try to maintain at least a day's worth of time, work in a factory or somehow collecting more time before their time abruptly run out. This inventive premise sets up the audience for tension and anxiety for the duration of the film. Life for the poor is more precarious than ever before and we feel it along with them. When someone we care about earns, steals or wins more time, we relax. Saqlas is given a large lump of time from a suicidal stranger and decides he'll use it to infiltrate the time-rich sector of the privileged and bring down the system. In the process, he kidnaps and converts rich girl, Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried), and he is doggedly hounded by timekeeper (police detective), Raymond Leon (Cillian Murphy who is doing the best he can to erase the gorgeous image of him as transvestite Kitten 'Breakfast on Pluto' -- no easy feat). There may be a few too many poetic and obscure references to time, and the middle of the film does slow down, but it picks up again and is worth the wait.
As many films as Justin Timberlake has been in thus far in his career, he has not yet been proclaimed an 'actor' by the general public or industry as others who came from a pop music pasts have, such as Mark Wahlberg whose career got that early boost with 'Basketball Diaries' (1995), a small, independent drama in which he was convincing as the drug addicted bad boy. Timberlake took the Hollywood comedy route -- perhaps giving more exposure, but less recognition or opportunity to exercise his chops. 'In Time' could possible give Timberlake the dramatic boost his career has been lacking. There were some interesting casting choices for this film; several of the male actors were far more handsome than Timberlake (Bomer, Murphy, Pettyfer), showing a more realistic view of heroes. This time the deck wasn't stacked in favor of the best looking being the lead.
I'm looking forward to more Occupy Hollywood films in the future -- if only to see if Hollywood can really influence and inspire action. Don't miss 'Margin Call,' the indictment of Wall Street, and 'Tower Heist' which encourages the common people (the 99%) to rob the 1% of his ill gotten gains. As Will Salas says in 'In Time', 'Is it stealing if it's already stolen?' Using Hollywood for propaganda purposes is the second best strategy in reaction to the dissatisfaction of the American public with today's social order, the first being a political movement, one diametrically opposed to the Tea Party Movement. Ah, something else to consider.
In Time
Director / Writer: Andrew Niccol
Cast: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy, Matt Bomer, Johnny Galecki, Olivia Wilde, Vincent Kartheiser, Alex Pettyfer
Time: 109 min.
Rating: PG-13
Opening October 28 at AMC Van Ness and San Francisco Centre in San Francisco
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