Yes, there are some interesting ideas floated in TDALOOB about the nature of time, but boy oh boy, the execution! A bunch of pseudo - talking heads trying to breathe life into what is just a monumental mash-up of recreations and blending of various media forms. This "film" (and I use the term almost reluctantly) just reeks micro-budget. It never feels like cinema to me, just a fancy filmed project.
Rachel Ward as Ada, is certainly the most animated of the pointy heads trying to advocate convincingly for Otto Bloom. But Matilda Brown, her real life daughter playing her younger self is notably awkward in the role and lacks credibility. It doesn't help that she is given very little dialogue, with the older Ada pretty much doing all the talking for her. You end up with the feeling that some actor's body double has somehow accidentally ended up with serious screen time.
Xavier Samuel as Otto has an easier task, though the framing mechanism of recreated scenes, supposed home videos, photos. news clippings and the like, never allows the slightest degree of chemistry occurring between his character and the two depicted great loves of his life. Nor do we ever start to believe even ever so slightly, that Otto is a real person, no matter how many sham Time covers are flashed in front of us. Every thing just appears so fake and mocked up, as for instance when Otto is supposed to address a huge convention/assembly of people, which is just a very obvious, poorly disguised back projection.
I love a good time - travel film better than most, but it needs to stimulate me in a cinematic fashion. TDALOOB has all the excitement of the director telling you what he'd like to do when making the movie, rather than us sitting, watching and being inspired by a compelling, completed production.
