Film analysis: About Time

My film analysis of About time

Production Background

About time is a Working title film

Initial release: August 8, 2013 (United Kingdom)

Director: Richard Curtis

Richard Curtis has previously directed numerous films for Working title including Love Actually (2003 which he also wrote) and wrote Notting Hill (1999)  and also directed The Boat That Rocked (2009)

Distributed by Universal Pictures

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

 $1,076,250 (USA) (1 November 2013)

Gross:

 $15,294,553 (USA) (20 December 2013)

Overall Box Office $87.1m

Budget and implications of this

Their budget was $12 million. This could have restricted WT from casting a more recognised  lead male actor. Domhnall Gleeson the Irish actor who is well known in the Uk, having been in a few of the Harry Potter films as a minor role and another minor role in Anna Karenina. But he is fairly unknown in the US therefore he would have no impact on the sales of the film over there. However Rachel Mcadams is a very well known Canadian actress in the Uk and US due to her famous roles in The Notebook and Mean Girls, so her A list status will bring in a lot of money from all countries. Their budget could also have reduced the number of locations they could have filmed in, as the more locations used the more expensive the cost.

Distribution and marketing

About Time Facebook page

About Time UK Facebook page

About Time Twitter

This is the Uk and international poster 

This is the DVD cover

The About Time soundtrack

Fan made video 

Rachel Mcadams is clearly shown in the centre of the shot and Domnhall Gleeson is less obvious in the corner of the shot making sure all focus is on Mcadams (the more famous actor) 

The trailer 

Critical Reception

IMDb gave this film 4 stars out of 5

Rotten Tomatoes gave it 3 1/2 out of 5 

The Independent however gave the film a grilling review:

Tim, in any case, knows straightaway how he's going to use his power: he wants to get a girlfriend. Things look promising when he meets a cute American, Mary (Rachel McAdam, already a veteran of such whimsy from The Time-Traveler's Wife) but on account of a glitch he "loses" that first encounter and has to woo her all over again. Then, deploying his time-bending lark to edit out all his gaffes on their Big Night – a stumble on the stair, a fumble with the bra, a tumble in the sack that's not quite perfect – he makes smooth the course of true love without Mary suspecting a thing. This might have struck us as a clever conceit had we not seen it done with far more wit, heart and precision 20 years ago in Groundhog Day. It's the same routine that Bill Murray's misanthropic weatherman follows, obliged to rehearse the same moves and learn the same lines over one eternal day until he wins round the woman he loves.

Media Language- Genre
It's a romantic comedy-drama. Its audience is partially focused on the American audience as it contains a famous American star. Its also directed towards the type of people who were fans of Love Actually, Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral as they mention that this film was directed by the same director who directed these films very centrally and largely on the poster, and in the right hand corner of the DVD cover. This market for rom-coms are usually focused on the female audience as the romantic genre is key how ere the comedy aspect also appeals to the male audience. The age rating is R therefore the audience is not restricted. 

Media Language- British and Typical Working Title film
The lead characters are all upper class attractive Brits. The focused family have a house in the country and in London, these are the main locations for the film. The lead male is played by a rich, upperclass. bumbling, awkward man who is kind of a remake of many Hugh Grant for example in Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral. These are all qualities of a Richard Curtis Working Title film. 

Summary
As a whole I didn't mind the film, it wasn't great but it did contain Bill Nighty who I love and who brought a few laughs ti the film. Overall the film didn't receive great reviews however the Britsh and American audience seamed to like it due to the high rates and gross profit of the film.