Every child dreads having “the talk” with their parents. For Tim, it was especially hard since he was 21 and his father told him that all of the men in the family have the ability to travel through time at a certain age. So begins the romantic comedy, About Time.

Tim learns that he can’t change history, but he can change what happens in his own life. So, Tim decides to make his world a better place, at least for him, by getting a girlfriend.

Surprisingly, that is easier said than done. As Tim moves from the Cornwall coast to London to begin work as a lawyer, he meets Mary, a beautiful but insecure young woman. As they fall in love, an unfortunate time-travel incident causes the two to have not ever met at all. Confused? The end result is that they meet for the first time over and over again.

As with other time-traveling movies like Back to the Future, one the basic rules is to never interfere with the past because when you change the past, it also affects the future.

Tim learns this the hard way. He learns that he is able to “fix” one problem, only to cause another one in the process. Still, he attempts to use his power to create the perfect proposal, rescue his wedding reception from having one of the worst best-man speeches ever and save his best friend from a professional disaster.

About Time was written and directed by Richard Curtis who is known for similar work on Pirate Radio and Love Actually. He also wrote the script for Four Weddings and a Funeral.

The movie stars Domhnall Gleeson (Anna Karenina, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2) as Tim, Rachel McAdams (The Vow, Sherlock Holmes) as Mary and Bill Nighy (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Total Recall) as Tim’s Dad.

About Time has received a 68% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which seems to be the consensus amongst movie critics reviewing the movie: pretty good, but not fantastic. One reviewer described the film as “maddeningly sweet.”

On the plus side, the movie focuses on the strained relationship between Tim and his father. Through the whole ordeal, they learn how to appreciate each other. Tim also learns that while he has the power to change a loved one’s future, it is best for that person to struggle through and endure the consequences that go along with it.

On the down side, this film isn’t for everyone. While the love story is sweet, they go by the usual Hollywood rules by sleeping together and later moving in together before making the final commitment with a ring. 

The movie is rated “R” for brief scenes of sexuality with glimpses of nudity, profanity and coarse language.