I am an ardent fan of the cinematic arts. Although I have certain genre preferences, I don’t let that stifle my curiosity and close myself to different flavors of entertainment. That said...I am a huge fan of science fiction, super hero and action movies! Even though this film falls within the sci-fi genre, please visit my other blog The Boxed Office for reviews, exclusively, on these types of movies.
The Cast:
Danielle Panabaker (Callie) was the only person I recognized in the film as having established herself outside of it (and that’s only because I watch the Flash) and this revelation had me thinking the film would be lackluster. I am glad to report that I very much enjoyed her role and she delivered her character quite well.
Matt O’Leary (Finn) also played his role well and kept me intrigued as the boyfriend having relationship issues, not only with his girlfriend, but with his roommate/ friend as the lines began to blur about who was the alpha male in the house.
George Finn (Jasper) added that element of unpredictability (ironic since it’s a film about immutable events in time) to the film as his character slowly descends down the path of the unstable…bordering on madness. Finn delivers this very well and was the main catalyst that kept my attention on the screen.
The Plot:
Three roommates that are also landlords of an apartment complex find a very special camera in the apartment of one of their tenants when he goes missing. Careful observation of the camera reveals that it takes pictures of the future.…specifically 24 hours ahead (it is revealed later that it can be set to take pictures further in the future, but our trio never discover how to operate it).
After making this discovery, the trio decide to use the pictures to change their current circumstances by holding up photos for the camera to take, with specific instructions for their past selves. All goes well until the pictures began to show them futures that don't look so rosy.
What follows is a story of intrigue, love, madness, danger, and tragedy as the trio soon discover that messing with time is an exercise in futility…and much more dangerous than simply living your life in ignorance.
The Verdict:
I was not very optimistic when I started watching this film just from the fact that I hardy recognized anyone in the film. This quickly changed as I discovered the plot was very interesting and the actors delivered their characters very well.
I love science-fiction films and have seen nearly every film ever made that haas something to do with time travel. What I found interesting here is that nobody actually traveled through time at all…but the manipulation of events in time was no less dangerous and haphazard (isn’t it always when it comes to messing with time?).
Now.…I could sit here and nitpick with a discussion of time paradoxes and such, but I wouldn’t dare bore you with such trivial matters. The important thing to take away from a film, the most important in fact, is the entertainment value it has for you. This film, for me, was highly entertaining, especially due to the unique way it approached how this trio manipulated time (or did time manipulate them?).
Of course, if you look closely and meticulously enough, you will probably find some plot holes. Time travel/ manipulation films always seem to have this drawback unless you have a writer that really wants to earn his check. That said, if you sit back and enjoy what is being presented, you will probably have a great “time” watching this film.
In the end (or was it the beginning), this film was highly enjoyable…unexpectedly so, and the low budget was not a hinderance in making it “time” well spent. I took a picture of the future before I watched this film and saw three and a half (3.5) cinnamon sticks in my cup of tea….after I had watched this film.
So…there you have it.
Rating 3.5 / 5
