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Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Movie Review: TiMER

TiMER
2010
R

You can watch the trailer here

TiMER takes an interesting premise - the creation of a digital device that will tell you who your soulmate is and when you are going to meet them - and almost runs away with it, but much like the concept of such a device, this movie is not without its faults.

In the beginning of the Jac Schaeffer-directed film - which may or may not take place in the future - we meet Oona (Emma Caulfield) who is desperately searching for her "one [true love]" with the use of the revolutionary TiMER. Unlike everyone around her, Oona's TiMER has yet to start its countdown, meaning her soulmate either does not exist or has yet to receive a TiMER device. Oona lives with her sister Steph (Michelle Borth) whose TiMER tells her she still has a few years until she'll meet her one. As a result, Steph spends much of her time engaging in one night stands with TiMER-ed men who already have their dates set in stone. Oona, on the other hand, believes in staunchly waiting for her TiMER to do its job; that is, until she meets Mikey (John Patrick Amedori), a man who only has four months until he meets his one. The two spend the night together, but something about Mikey draws Oona closer, and she starts to question whether the TiMER is really the answer to finding love.

I was a little hesitant going into this film. A friend had told me about it a few months ago, but I randomly found it whilst searching through NetFlix, so I figured I'd give it a shot. And for most of the film, I was actually quite impressed, with the screenplay at least. It took an outrageous and sci-fi-infested notion and made it seem believable, all the while infusing the ethics of such a system throughout. It gave the pros and the cons and all of the gray area in-between for the TiMER as Oona struggled with the life she had lived with one. I think it goes as far as questioning what true love actually is. There was a scene in the film when Oona questions whether the TiMER actually presents you to your soulmate or if it's all just a self-fulfilling prophecy, and I thought that it completely summed up the inner struggle she had been having. My only major issue with the screenplay, aside from its slight predictability, was the film's ending, and it has nothing to do with how it was written. I simply didn't like it from a personal and emotional standpoint. I know that may not seem like the best objective review, but when it comes to movies, many things come down to personal preference, and I simply did not prefer how TiMER ended.

In terms of acting, there's nothing really to stand up and applaud, but the performances fit the tone well. Caulfield does enough to keep our attention, but she's hardly strong enough to demand the screen. Borth is good in a supporting role, and she has a few lines that are pretty good, but at the same time, there are a few that leave you scratching your head, wondering how that was left in the final cut (one such line is given in the trailer above - see if you can find it).

Overall, TiMER is a decent movie with an interesting premise, and it might be worth a watch on a lazy afternoon. If you're into romantic comedies with a dash of science fiction, then this might be right up your alley, but it's not a movie that I'm going to staunchly recommend. Give the trailer a watch and see if you might like it.


Movie Review Summary:
Grade: C
1 Thumb Up

(I have changed my "thumb" scale to its current state. Just for your reference, the best possible score would be "2 Thumbs Up" while the worst would be "2 Thumbs Down." The in-between range includes "1 Thumb Up" and "1 Thumb Down," to signify a slight approval or disapproval rating.)

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