In Time

Everyone knows that “time is money,” but never has the saying been more literal than with In Time. It’s the future and mankind has devised it so that people stop aging at 25, at which point they are given a year’s worth of time. You see, time is everything in the future. If you want to buy a cup of coffee or rent a hotel room for the night, it’s going to cost you a certain amount of minutes, hours, days, or in some cases years. So long as you have time, you have life. When the clock stops, your heart stops as well. It’s a society where the rich can live forever, and the poor suffer day by day. Sound familiar?

Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) was born into poverty. Like most of the people around him, he gets by on a day to day basis, never really knowing how much time he truly has left, despite what it says on his arm. That all changes when he meets a man who has more than a century left on his clock. Realizing that he’s lived long enough, the man gives Will his remaining time. Now he must decide what to do with what most would consider all the time in the world.

In Time explores the idea that everything, from daily routines to business transactions, revolves around time. How much would you really be willing to spend on a cup of coffee knowing that it would take a few hours of your life away? The film makes you view society in a whole different light. Director Andrew Niccol has experimented with subjects similar to this before. Gattaca explored the ideas of genes and their ability to control society, and the film wowed critics. Once again, Niccol raises questions about our society and does so in amazing fashion.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen a film as different as In Time. The method in which time is addressed is fantastic. Transactions are handled with a scan of the wrist, where time can either be added or taken away. People can essentially hold each other’s wrists and transfer time to and from one another. It does have its downside though, as time can easily be stolen from someone. To keep time in check, Timekeepers patrol the cities and enforce the laws.

Much of the film is split between two locales; the poverty stricken suburbs where Will lives and the upscale rich neighborhood where a century is considered small change. After experiencing both lifestyles, Will teams up with Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried), the daughter of an extremely rich businessman, to become a futuristic version of Bonnie and Clyde meets Robin Hood. Their goal; upset the balance of society and reduce the gap between the rich and the poor. Meanwhile, they’re constantly being trailed by Timekeeper Leon (Cillian Murphy) who’s bent on keeping things the way they are.

In Time is expertly crafted to be both entertaining and insightful. In an era where many of today’s blockbusters are either sequels or spin-offs, it’s refreshing to see something more creative. This is definitely one movie you could spare two hours off your life clock for.

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