About Time (2013)
When Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson) turns twenty-one, he learns the men in his family can travel back in time and uses this newly discovered skill to court Mary (Rachel McAdams) in this mashup of the romantic comedy and science fiction genres.
Director Richard Curtis breaks most of the “rules” of time travel, but the point of this film is not the minutiae of alternate timelines, but the importance of relationships and family.
McAdams doesn’t do anything spectacular here, but the chemistry between her and the nerdishly charming Gleason is fun and infectious.
Bill Nighy is perfectly cast as Harry Lake, Tim’s eccentric, lovable dad. He was a seasoned theater performer before his film career began with Curtis’s excellent Love Actually (2003) and he’s been a reliably funny performer since.
Margot Robbie barely registers as Tim’s vapid potential love interest, Charlotte.
One of the most memorable scenes in the movie is when Tim and Mary go on a date to a restaurant which serves its patrons in a pitch black room. I was sure this was a gag created for the film, but Dans le Noir is a real thing.
This sweet movie is not always logical, but it’s a fun way to pass a little time.
Get a Horse! (2013)
Sadly, this was overshadowed by the film it accompanied in theaters. In six minutes, it deconstructs and reinvents a character which had existed for over eighty years.
Critics often talk about the Disney Renaissance, but I can’t think of any important work during the era involving their most famous character.
For years, Mickey and company have been beloved, while Bugs and his Warner Brothers cohorts were getting all the laughs, but if recent developments are a sign of the direction Disney is pursuing with their iconic properties, I’m excited for the future of world’s most famous mouse.