In Time is director/writer Andrew Niccol's fantasy, sci-fi project, where the maxim, "time is money," takes on new meaning. Citizens of this futuristic world live their first 25 years in safety and comfort, and are then jolted to reality when their "clock" starts. This digitalized clock on one's inner forearm counts down to zero, at which point one times out, or dies. In a system in which capitalism has gone awry, time has replaced money. The richest have the most time on their clocks, which means they can live forever and afford living luxurious lifestyles. As an added bonus to this seemingly perfect system, no one ages after the age of 25.
The plot centers around Will Salas (Justin Timberlake), a poor but spirited persona who is trying to support himself and his mother (Olivia Wilde) in the cruel world. After a strange encounter with a rich individual, Will is gifted with a century of time. In doing so, however, the individual simultaneously committed suicide, having grown weary of living. This odd event, coupled with the death of his mother, spurs Will to exact revenge on those who are responsible for the suffering of the impoverished.
Akin to Jumper, In Time suffers from an extremely mediocre narrative set in an interesting reality. Niccol has clearly conceived a sci-fi future that is universally alluring, but the plotline is lethargic despite the many punctuations of dramatic actions sequences. Niccol was also the helmer/scribe for Lord of War, one of the few films in which I approve of a Nicolas Cage performance. Lord of War highlighted Niccol's strengths and finesse as a filmmaker, but In Time undermines all of those earlier efforts. Instead of using the form of film to heighten emotion and direct the audience's focus, Niccol simply points the camera; shot like any typical action tent pole, Niccol falls short of the public's expectations.
When the director/writer fails to produce a worthwhile story, actors are usually left with two-dimensional, shallow characters. Such is the case with In Time. To negatively evaluate any of the performances in the film would be truly harsh - the actors did not have much with which to work. Justin Timberlake, whom I generally like, never had the opportunity to put life into what could have been an extremely complex character. The film's narrative leaves almost no room for character development, with few scenes focusing on the protagonist's emotions and inner thoughts. The other major players are Amanda Seyfried and Cillian Murphy. Both show that they have mastered their art: displaying their talent by infusing animation into secondary roles.
A sad example of what could have been, In Time's success proves to be as imaginary as the world in which it takes place. Niccol fails not only his actors but also the audience, producing a film that does not even entertain. Falling short of the expectation created by his past films, Niccol shows that a director is only as good as his last film.
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