Timer

I picked this film on Netflix not knowing what it was about. Then I got introduced from the opening scenes to a very interesting concept and was drawn in by an original idea. I don't know if this was done in any other film, but it is the first time that I have seen it in a movie. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. The original concept was refreshing and the main character was a lovable girl who was looking for love like many of us. (By the way, for those who didn't remember, she was on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, played Xander's fiancée). Her situation (minus the obvious thing that we don't have access to, at least right now) is quite believable as I know many people in her predicament, searching for someone to love and to spend the rest of their lives with. It is a romantic, dramatic and funny movie that sits well with me and is quite enjoyable to watch.

TiMER (2009)

A really fabulous, tightly written, tightly focused movie. It has a smart, sci-fi hook: people can wear a "timer" that predicts when they will meet their true love. This becomes the device around which the really charming, lovable characters play with the idea of true love, and love, and relationship, and the predictability (or not) of all of that. And it is done without a shred of darkness--I mean, it's an upbeat, rose-colored view of this oddly painted future. There's a hint of Juno in the tone, and maybe Sex and the City in the sorting out of relationships by the two main women.

The production, or feel, of things isn't as low budget as you might think given its low budget, but it is filmed with a modern television kind of flatness, or brightness. For all the Big Brother eeriness to it all, the world of these two half sisters and their prospective boyfriends is downright happy. Even the old folks home is a comic paradise, more or less.

What really makes the picture work are the two leading women, who play their upbeat diffidence and sarcasm with wide eyes and cute smiles. Their fast comebacks are razor sharp but never quite slashing. Equal to them but in a smaller role is their chipper mother, a paradigm of American good will wearing blinders. And the one boyfriend, the cute (of course) guy who plays in a band, happily immature, is also spot on. So, with a cast like this of complete unknowns playing their hearts out with delicacy and fearlessness, following a quirky and impossible futuristic notion, you can't help but kick back and laugh.

Fun and cool idea, promising characters, but with a very questionable ending that gets lost in the direction the film was developing with the characters. As well as missed the chance to convey a nicer/constructive image about the TiMER idea.

While the above review would say that this movie was somewhat inspiring, I would tend to disagree. Timer is a movie which promises to challenge the stereotype of one person for everyone, but in the end re-enforces it. There really isn't one person for everyone, and I was hoping that the movie would relate this to the audience, but the ending was flat and awful.

The main character falls for a complete stranger after having a wonderful time with a perfectly wonderful younger man. (nope, not buying it). What this says and tries to re-enforce to us as an audience is that we should all date our own age, and anything other isn't the right person for us.

Examples Her father has a timer but it isn't synced with the woman he's living with (much younger than him) Her mother and step-father both have timers and they are the same age.

She is 30 and her love interest is 22, the timer doesn't think they should be together.

She and her sister's love interest both have timers that sync and they are roughly the same age.

Their younger brother is 14 and his timer goes off seeing another 14 year old girl.

I was, for the most part, completely into this movie before the ending. It was well acted and had some great ideas. But, it turns out there is no enlightenment at all, just the same old society influenced bullshit, one person for you, the same age as you, and there's no one else for you.

Bottom line, this movie is just a huge let down. Maybe it was my fault for wanting it to be deeper and have a more meaningful ending. But no, it's just the same old crap you've seen before.

Don't waste your time with this one, it's a huge let down.

Finally our clocks have counted down and we have Jac Schaeffer in our lives. Schaeffer has brilliantly written "TiMER" and brought a fantastic romantic comedy into the world.

Sure, all romantic comedies follow the same trend, cute girl wants to meet her soul mate. The poor ones do it with horrible main characters and ridiculously unfunny contrived situations. The somewhat better ones, which we have been forced to accept as good, add comedy and likable characters. But now, we have "TiMER".

This film gives us a couple of characters, all of them are very funny and relatable. And it also adds ingenuity, with an original technological timer to count down to the arrival of our soul mate, and intelligence and even mixes in philosophy. "TiMER" can be enjoyed by everyone, the humour is sweet and appropriate for every age, and for every "thinker" out there, there's a lot for you to over-analyze, and for everyone who doesn't want to think there's enough to enjoy on its surface.

I have said a lot of good things about "TiMER" here and deservedly so because this is a well written romantic comedy (apparently they really do exist!). This film won't climb the ranks into my all time favourite movies because it doesn't evoke too many emotions, but it definitely deserves to be seen and talked about.