Dead on Time

'Dead on Time' is short comedy starring Rowan Atkinson as Bernard Fripp, a man whose doctor tells him that he has barely 30 minutes to live. The premise is not so original (as it is hardly in any other case), but such material could offer many amusing moments, and that is what 'Dead on Time' does, but unfortunately not too much. It is not badly written 30 minutes of comedy, but one expects much more from writers such as Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson himself. It was nice to see how some of Atkinson's comedic trademarks already there.

Still, as a huge Atkinson's fan, I found these thirty minutes quite enjoyable and not a time wasted. If these would have been my last 30 minutes, then using them to watch this film, wouldn't be that much of a waste.

Doctor Nigel Hawthorne tells patient Rowan Atkinson that he will be dead in thirty minutes. Atkinson then runs around Covent Garden -- that's where Hawthorne's practice is -- trying to accomplish something in thirty minutes and give meaning to his life. But the lines are too long, the people too dull, and the shops too closed to do it.

It's an early outing for a bunch of talent, including co-writer Richard Curtis -- explaining why Atkinson's character is named Bernard -- as well as performers like Peter Bull,Peter Biggins, Rupert Everett, Jim Broadbent, and Greta Scacchi. Curtis has always said he's had an easier ride than most people in the industry. That's because he gives them something in return.