Tempus fugit

Meet Ramon, a low profile loner in Barcelona, superhero comic strips fan and too shy to approach the nice woman he sees walking the square every day. A small existence lacking any excitement. But then, in the middle of the night, a time traveller appears in his bedroom with a strange message: A small box of medication, Tempus Fugit, can bring you hours or days back or forward in time, and Ramon has a mission. He has to save the world. It sounds quite simple, but things get difficult for Ramon when the box is lost and his football crazy neighbour and his dog get involved. Will Ramon be able to save the world ? Does he still want to after finding out to be the chosen one because he is meaningless ? Tempus Fugit was produced for TV, but has made its way through various european film festivals with great public recognition. Rightfully so, because Enric Folch has made a friendly little movie with good actors, a plot full of little twists and turns and some very funny moments. The whole thing works very well on a big screen, and we can leave the cinema with a smile on our face: Little things can have big consequences and if we dare to change our daily routine and jump over our shadows, we don't need superhero skills to save the world. With a little luck we can even find the love of our life.

Tempus Fugit is a very human take on the ancient theme of time travel. Despite this seeming lack of originality, the film is anything but clichéd in its execution. It deftly tackles in a refreshing way the story of an apparently ordinary man, chosen to do an important job - or else the world ends. Time travel is at the heart of both story and ultimate solution, yet it is clearly a means, a device, implemented in the story in the most simple of fashions. Most things appear simple at first sight in this movie, which is a nice change from the convolution that characterises so many similar themed films. Paradox is neither explained nor ignored, but treated matter-of-factly - not an obstacle but a given, hardly worth mentioning.

The characters are sympathetic in the extreme, from the main personage to the woman he secretly admires, from his rabid football loving neighbour to the people that occupy the square that is a central location to the film. Even the 'visitor from the future', obnoxious though he seems at first, has a certain charm that makes you want to forgive his crasser statements. The same really goes for the entire film, whose low production values shine through at times but never become distracting: the small flaws that are there are easily ignored in the face of a charming tale, told in such a clearly loving fashion that by the end it'll have put a smile on your face and made you realise that its ending, which out-Hollywoods Hollywood itself, is the only one possible after a story like this. Highly recommended. (Seen at the Amsterdam Festival for Fantastic Films, April 2004 - prefaced by an interview with the director)

Adorable. Charming. Smart. Clever. Funny. Warm-hearted. Quirky. Delightfully tongue-in- cheek. If this movie was made for TV, why isn't American TV this good?

Ramon is a shy guy in Spain, who has a terrible crush on Angie. A time traveler from the future enlists Ramon's help to save the world, and many comical and surprising missteps ensue. As they mess with the timeline, an unintended consequence occurs: Ramon and Angie fall in love. Will Ramon be able to save the world? Will saving the world require a change in the timeline that will erase their new love? Is saving the world really worth the effort if Madrid is going to beat Barcelona in the soccer championship?

If you're ever lucky enough to have a chance, go see this movie!

(Seen at the Port Townsend Film Festival, Port Townsend, Washington, USA, Sept. 2005)

I'm delighted to announce that Tempus Fugit was named best non-UK independent feature at the 15th Festival of Fantastic Films, held in Manchester, England, on 20-22 August 2004. A worthy winner.

The FFF is held annually by the Society of Fantastic Films, and guests have included Roger Corman, Brian Clements, Robert Fuest, Norman J Warren, Pete Walker, Sarah Karloff, Mel Welles, Freddie Francis, Anne Robinson, Francis Matthews, Andrew Keir, Val Guest and Ingrid Pitt.

This year's event was held at the Manchester Conference Centre, with winners announced at the closing ceremony. The best UK independent feature was named as Voodoo London.

This is a wonderful film. Not for any one particular reason -- the acting is great, the story keeps you wanting to learn more and involves time travel without becoming confusing -- it's just an all-around fun film. It is unfortunately difficult to see in the United States since the actors speak Catalan and it has mostly been making the rounds in film festivals. Through a series of email exchanges, I've learned that a DVD can be purchased from Manga films in Spain. The DVD is region 2, not 1, so be sure your DVD can play it, but this is well worth the trouble to track down. I saw this film in 2004 and it comes to mind often enough that I am trying to purchase a copy 3 years later.