In Time

Last updated

In Time
In Time poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Andrew Niccol
Written byAndrew Niccol
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Roger Deakins
Edited by Zach Staenberg
Music by Craig Armstrong
Production
companies
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release dates
Running time
109 minutes [3]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$40 million [4]
Box office$174 million [5]

In Time is a 2011 American science fiction action film written, produced, and directed by Andrew Niccol. Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried star as inhabitants of a society that uses time from one's lifespan as its primary currency, with each individual possessing a clock on their arm that counts down how long they have to live. Cillian Murphy, Vincent Kartheiser, Olivia Wilde, Matt Bomer, Johnny Galecki, and Alex Pettyfer also star. The film was released on October 28, 2011, and grossed $174 million against a $40 million budget. It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the premise while criticising the execution. [6] [7]

Contents

Plot

In 2169, people are genetically engineered to stop aging on their 25th birthdays and are given one free year to live. Everyone has a timer on their forearm that shows their remaining time; when it reaches zero, the person "times out" and instantly dies.

Time is now the universal currency, transferred directly between people or stored in capsules. The country is divided into Time Zones; Dayton is the poorest, a ghetto where people rarely have more than 24 hours on their timer. New Greenwich is the richest, where people are effectively immortal.

Factory worker Will Salas lives in Dayton with his mother Rachel. One night, he rescues drunken Henry Hamilton from time thief Fortis and his gang the Minutemen. Hamilton reveals that the people of New Greenwich hoard their time while constantly increasing prices to keep the poor dying.

Hamilton transfers all his time to a sleeping Will before deliberately timing out and dying. Raymond Leon, the leader of the police-like Timekeepers, assumes that Will killed Hamilton and pursues him.

Will's friend Borel warns him against having so much time in Dayton. Will gives Borel ten years, one for each year of their friendship. Will sets off to meet Rachel, intending to take her to New Greenwich. Rachel times out and dies in his arms, less than a second before he could transfer time to her and save her life. Will vows to avenge Rachel's death by taking the people of New Greenwich for everything they have.

In a New Greenwich casino, Will meets time-loaning businessman Philippe Weis and his daughter Sylvia. Will wins over a millennium at poker while nearly timing himself out. Sylvia invites him to a party. Leon arrests Will and confiscates all but two hours of his time.

Will takes Sylvia hostage and escapes to Dayton, but Fortis's gang ambushes them, leaving them with 30 minutes each. Will attempts to get some time back from Borel, but his wife Greta explains that he has drunk himself to death. They get a day each by pawning Sylvia's earrings. Will demands Weis pay a 1,000-year ransom to the people in Dayton in exchange for Sylvia's safe return. Weis refuses, and Will releases Sylvia just as Leon finds them. Sylvia shoots Leon in the arm, and Will gives him enough time to survive until the other Timekeepers arrive. They use Leon's car to pull over a New Greenwich resident whom they rob of her time and car.

Will and Sylvia rob her father's time banks and give time capsules to the needy. They realize they cannot significantly change anything, as prices are raised faster to compensate for the extra time. Fortis's gang ambushes them to collect the reward for their capture, but Will kills him and his gang. Will and Sylvia steal a one-million year capsule from her father's vault. Leon chases them back to Dayton but fails to stop them distributing the stolen time. Leon times out, having neglected to collect his day's salary. Will and Sylvia nearly time out themselves but survive by taking his salary.

Television reports show factories in Dayton shutting down as everyone has enough time to abandon their jobs. Having seen the consequences of his obsession with the pair, Leon's colleague Jaeger orders the Timekeepers to return home. Will and Sylvia progress to larger banks, still trying to crash the system.

Cast

Production

Before the film was titled In Time, the names Now and I'm.mortal were used. [8] On July 12, 2010, it was reported that Amanda Seyfried had been offered a lead role. [9] On July 27, 2010, it was confirmed that Justin Timberlake had been offered a lead role. [10] On August 9, 2010, Cillian Murphy was confirmed to have joined the cast. [11]

The first photos from the set were revealed on October 28, 2010. [12] 20th Century Fox and New Regency distributed the film, and Marc Abraham and Eric Newman's Strike Entertainment produced it. [13]

In an interview with Kristopher Tapley of In Contention, Roger Deakins stated that he would be shooting the film in digital, which makes this the first film to be shot in digital by the veteran cinematographer. [14]

The Dayton scenes were filmed primarily in the Skid Row and Boyle Heights neighborhoods of Los Angeles, while the New Greenwich scenes were filmed primarily in Century City, Bel Air, and Malibu. Although the names of the ghetto-like zone and wealthy enclave reflect Dayton and Greenwich, respectively, the maps used by the Timekeepers are maps of Los Angeles.

For the retrofuturistic setting, the production's vehicle suppliers assembled a fleet of cars and trucks from used car lots and junkyards. Although an old Citroën DS 21 and Cadillac Seville feature, center stage goes to a fleet of seemingly immaculate Dodge Challengers and Lincoln Continentals. The rich drive around in the high gloss Lincolns, all of which have been smoothed, lowered and fitted with oversized disc wheels on low profile rubber. The Dodges are the Time Keeper's cop cars. These too have been smoothed and externally customized, with grilles front and rear covering the lights, and low profile tires on disc wheels. In stark contrast to the Lincolns, paintwork is matte black. A slim police light-bar is fitted internally, behind the windshield.

The use of retrofuturism is one of many elements that the film shares with Niccol's earlier work, Gattaca ; Niccol himself referred to it as "the bastard child of Gattaca". [15] That film also features electrically powered vintage cars (notably a Rover P6 and again, a Citroën DS), as well as buildings of indeterminate age. Gattaca also deals with innate inequalities (though in its case genetic, rather than longevity) and also features a character seeking to cross the divide that his birthright is supposed to deny him. Similarly, he is pursued by law enforcement officers after being wrongly identified as having committed a murder.

On September 15, 2011, a lawsuit was filed against the film by attorneys acting on behalf of Harlan Ellison, author of "'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman". The suit, naming New Regency, director Andrew Niccol and a number of anonymous John Does, appears to base its claim on the similarity that both the completed film and Ellison's story concern a dystopian future in which people have a set amount of time to live which can be revoked, given certain pertaining circumstances by a recognized authority known as a Timekeeper. Initially, the suit demanded an injunction against the film's release; [16] however, Ellison later altered his suit to instead ask for screen credit [17] before ultimately dropping the suit, with both sides releasing the following joint statement: "After seeing the film In Time, Harlan Ellison decided to voluntarily dismiss the Action. No payment or screen credit was promised or given to Harlan Ellison. The parties wish each other well, and have no further comment on the matter." [18]

Reception

Critical response

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 37% of 175 critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating is 5.30/10. The website's consensus reads, "In Time's intriguing premise and appealing cast are easily overpowered by the blunt, heavy-handed storytelling." [6] Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, gives the film a score of 53 based on 36 reviews. [7] CinemaScore polls reported that the average grade moviegoers gave the film was a "B-minus" on an A+ to F scale. [19] Roger Ebert gave the film a positive review with 3 stars out of 4, noting that the "premise is damnably intriguing", but "a great deal of this film has been assembled from standard elements". [20] Henry Barnes noted that Will is "one of the 99%" and calls the character "a Rolex Robin Hood". [21]

Box office

In Time grossed $12 million on its opening weekend, debuting at number three behind Puss in Boots , and Paranormal Activity 3 . The film declined later on during its 14 weekend box office run. The film eventually grossed over $37.5 million in the US and $136.4 million internationally for a worldwide total of $173.9 million. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Gattaca</i> 1997 film by Andrew Niccol

Gattaca is a 1997 American dystopian science fiction film written and directed by Andrew Niccol in his feature directorial debut. It stars Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman with Jude Law, Loren Dean, Ernest Borgnine, Gore Vidal, and Alan Arkin appearing in supporting roles. The film presents a future society driven by eugenics where children are conceived through genetic selection to ensure they possess the best hereditary traits of their parents. The film centers on Vincent Freeman, played by Hawke, who was conceived outside the eugenics program and struggles to overcome genetic discrimination to realize his dream of going into space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Timberlake</span> American singer, songwriter, and actor (born 1981)

Justin Randall Timberlake is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and dancer. Dubbed the "Prince of Pop", Billboard honored him as the best performing solo act on Pop Airplay and one of the greatest pop stars of the 21st century. Timberlake remains among the best-selling recording artists of all time, with sales of over 117 million records worldwide. His awards include ten Grammy Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards, three Brit Awards, nine Billboard Music Awards, the Contemporary Icon Award by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and MTV's Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

<i>The Truman Show</i> 1998 American comedy-drama film by Andrew Niccol

The Truman Show is a 1998 American psychological drama film written and co-produced by Andrew Niccol, and directed by Peter Weir. The film depicts the story of Truman Burbank, a man who is unaware that he is living his entire life on a colossal soundstage, and that it is being filmed and broadcast as a reality television show which has a huge international following. All of his friends, family and members of his community are paid actors of whose job it is to sustain the illusion and keep Truman unaware about the false world he inhabits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sylvia Earle</span> American marine biologist and lecturer

Sylvia Alice Earle is an American marine biologist, oceanographer, explorer, author, and lecturer. She has been a National Geographic Explorer at Large since 1998. Earle was the first female chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and was named by Time Magazine as its first Hero for the Planet in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cillian Murphy</span> Irish actor (born 1976)

Cillian Murphy is an Irish actor. His works encompass both stage and screen, and his accolades include an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award and a Golden Globe Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Niccol</span> New Zealand screenwriter, producer and film director (born 1964)

Andrew Niccol is a New Zealand screenwriter, producer, and director. He wrote and directed Gattaca (1997), Simone (2002), Lord of War (2005), In Time (2011), The Host (2013), and Good Kill (2014). He wrote and co-produced The Truman Show, which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and won him the BAFTA Award in the same category. His high-concept science fiction films tend to explore social, cultural and political issues; artificial realities, simulations and the male gaze are frequent themes in his work.

<i>Simone</i> (2002 film) Science fiction film by Andrew Niccol

Simone is a 2002 American satirical science fiction film written, produced and directed by Andrew Niccol. The film stars Al Pacino, Catherine Keener, Evan Rachel Wood, Rachel Roberts, Jay Mohr and Winona Ryder. The story follows a fading director who creates a virtual actress to star in his films and the attempts he makes to keep her non-presence a secret as she becomes more famous. Simone garnered mixed reviews from critics, grossing $19.6 million worldwide against its $10 million budget.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda Seyfried</span> American actress (born 1985)

Amanda Michelle Seyfried is an American actress. She began acting at 15, with recurring roles as Lucy Montgomery in the CBS soap opera As the World Turns (1999–2001) and Joni Stafford in the ABC soap opera All My Children (2003). She came to prominence for her feature film debut in the teen comedy Mean Girls (2004), and for her roles as Lilly Kane in the UPN mystery drama series Veronica Mars (2004–2006) and Sarah Henrickson in the HBO drama series Big Love (2006–2011).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evan Rachel Wood</span> American actress (born 1987)

Evan Rachel Wood is an American actress. She is the recipient of a Critics' Choice Television Award as well as nominations for three Primetime Emmy Award and three Golden Globe Award.

"'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman" is a dystopian science fiction short story by American writer Harlan Ellison that was published in 1965. First appearing in the science fiction magazine Galaxy in December 1965, it won the 1965 Nebula Award, the 1966 Hugo Award, and the 2015 Prometheus Hall of Fame Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Pettyfer</span> English actor and model (born 1990)

Alexander Richard Pettyfer is an English actor and model. He appeared in school plays and on television before being cast as Alex Rider, the main character in the 2006 film version of Stormbreaker. Pettyfer was nominated for a Young Artist Award and an Empire Award for his role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sylvia Young Theatre School</span> Private day and boarding school in London, England

Sylvia Young Theatre School is an independent school in Marble Arch, London, England. It is a specialist performing arts school named after its founder and principal, Sylvia Young OBE.

Rachel Roberts is a Canadian model and actress. Roberts has appeared in numerous ad campaigns, most notably for Biotherm Skin Care Products, and she became well known in the United States as the title character in the film Simone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calvin Borel</span> American jockey

Calvin H. Borel is an American jockey in thoroughbred horse racing and rode the victorious mount in the 2007 Kentucky Derby, the 2009 Kentucky Derby and the 2010 Kentucky Derby. His 2009 Derby win with Mine That Bird was the third biggest upset in Derby history,, and Borel's winning margin of 6+3⁄4 lengths was the greatest in Derby history since Assault won by 8 lengths in 1946. On May 1, 2009, Borel won the Kentucky Oaks aboard Rachel Alexandra, only the second time since 1993 that a jockey has won the Oaks-Derby combo, and just the seventh time overall a jockey has accomplished this feat in the same year. On May 16, 2009, Borel won the 2009 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico with thoroughbred filly Rachel Alexandra. In doing so, Borel became the first jockey to win the first two jewels of the Triple Crown on different mounts. Borel's nickname is "Bo'rail'" due to his penchant for riding close to the rail to save ground.

<i>Beastly</i> (film) 2011 American film

Beastly is a 2011 American romantic fantasy drama film loosely based on Alex Flinn's 2007 novel of the same name. It is a retelling of the fairytale Beauty and the Beast and is set in modern-day New York City. The film was written and directed by Daniel Barnz, and stars Vanessa Hudgens, Alex Pettyfer, Mary-Kate Olsen, Peter Krause, LisaGay Hamilton and Neil Patrick Harris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collins Pennie</span> American actor

Collins Pennie is an American actor. He is known for his roles in Prom Night as Ronnie Heflin, and in In Time as Time Keeper Jaeger. He also starred in the films Fame and Stomp the Yard: Homecoming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3-Way (The Golden Rule)</span> 2011 single by the Lonely Island, Justin Timberlake, and Lady Gaga

"3-Way " is a song recorded by American comedy music group the Lonely Island, featuring American singers Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga. The R&B and new jack swing track was written by Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, and Timberlake, while produced by the Futuristics with further production from Asa Taccone and Ryan & Smitty. It appeared as an SNL Digital Short on May 21, 2011, in the episode of the sketch comedy television series Saturday Night Live, which saw Timberlake and Gaga as the host and musical guest, respectively. She commented that Samberg and Timberlake were nervous about presenting the idea to her. The song was released as a single on May 24, 2011, three days after the broadcast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Timberlake videography</span>

American entertainer Justin Timberlake has released four video albums and has been featured in thirty-seven music videos, seventeen films, fifteen television shows, and six commercials. He achieved early fame when he appeared in the Disney Channel television series The All-New Mickey Mouse Club, alongside singers Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera and actor Ryan Gosling. Timberlake rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the boy band NSYNC. In 2002, he launched his solo career and released his solo debut single "Like I Love You", the music video for which was directed by Bucky Chrome. Francis Lawrence directed the video for "Cry Me a River". The video features Timberlake's character as he spies on a former lover, who according to the director portrays his former romantic interest Spears. At the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, the video won the accolades for Best Male Video and Best Pop Video.

Michael Harold Riley is an American motion graphics designer, art director and the founder of design company Shine. Has directed the television title sequence for Turn: Washington's Spies, the film title sequence for Kung Fu Panda, film sequences for How To Train Your Dragon, and worked on the redesign of the animated MGM theatrical logo. He has been nominated for an Emmy Award six times including for the main title design on Temple Grandin.

<i>Anon</i> (film) 2018 film by Andrew Niccol

Anon is a 2018 science fiction thriller film written and directed by Andrew Niccol. An international co-production of Canada, Germany and the United States, the film stars Clive Owen and Amanda Seyfried, with Colm Feore, Mark O'Brien, Sonya Walger, Joe Pingue and Iddo Goldberg appearing in supporting roles. Set in a futuristic world where privacy and anonymity no longer exist, the plot follows a troubled detective (Owen) who comes across a young woman (Seyfried) who has evaded the government's transparency system.

References

  1. 1 2 "In Time (2011)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . Archived from the original on October 11, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  2. ↑ Ng, Philiana (October 20, 2010). "'In Time' Premiere Red Carpet Arrivals: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on August 31, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
  3. ↑ "IN TIME (12A)". British Board of Film Classification . October 11, 2011. Archived from the original on October 9, 2019. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  4. ↑ Kaufman, Amy (October 27, 2011). "Movie Projector: 'Puss in Boots' to stomp on competition". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on November 18, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
  5. 1 2 "In Time". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on October 10, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
  6. 1 2 "In Time (2011)". Rotten Tomatoes . Archived from the original on March 14, 2024. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  7. 1 2 "In Time Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
  8. ↑ Rich, Katey (November 1, 2010). "I'm.mortal Retitled Now, Adds Alex Pettyfer And Matt Bomer To Cast". Cinema Blend. Archived from the original on October 11, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
  9. ↑ Gallagher, Brian (July 12, 2010). "Amanda Seyfried Signs on to I'm.mortal". MovieWeb . Archived from the original on May 18, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
  10. ↑ Douglas, Edward (July 27, 2012). "Justin Timberlake Leading I'm.mortal?". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
  11. ↑ Gallagher, Brian (August 9, 2010). "Cillian Murphy to Star in I'm.mortal". MovieWeb . Archived from the original on May 18, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
  12. ↑ "Timberlake and Seyfried Spotted Filming Their New Thriller". ComingSoon.net. October 28, 2010. Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
  13. ↑ Sneider, Jeff (August 9, 2010). "Justin Timberlake, Cillian Murphy in Talks to Join 'I'm.mortal". TheWrap . Archived from the original on May 18, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
  14. ↑ Tapley, Kristopher (December 22, 2010). "TECH SUPPORT INTERVIEW: 'True Grit' cinematographer Roger Deakins". In Contention. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  15. ↑ Capps, Robert (October 6, 2011). "Director Calls In Time 'Bastard Child of Gattaca'". Wired. Archived from the original on August 15, 2019. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  16. ↑ Gardner, Eriq (September 15, 2011). "Harlan Ellison Sues Claiming Fox's 'In Time' Rips Off Sci-Fi Story (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  17. ↑ Moore, Roger (August 26, 2014). "Ellison wants 'In Time' concessions — only asks for credit?". Orlando Sentinel . Archived from the original on February 13, 2013. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  18. ↑ O'Neill, Brian (December 1, 2011). "Ellison drops lawsuit after watching In Time". Sci-Fi Storm. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  19. ↑ Finke, Nikki (October 30, 2011). "Snow Ices Box Office: 'Puss In Boots' #1, 'Paranormal' #2, 'In Time' #3, 'Rum Diary' #4". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on October 30, 2011. Retrieved October 30, 2011.
  20. ↑ Ebert, Roger. "In Time". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  21. ↑ Barnes, Henry (November 4, 2011). "In Time – review". The Guardian . Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.