Le Chemin du passé

I admit that I am fascinated by the whole idea of time travel, so I watched "I Will Follow You Down" with great interest.

Marika (Gillian Anderson) and her son Erol drop their husband and father off at the airport when he travels to a conference in New Jersey. He never returns.

Twelve years later, Erol (now Haley Joel Osment) learns not only what happened to his father, but also learns that there may be a way to get him back.

This film starts slowly but still manages to draw you in. It deals with not only time travel, but the ramifications of a situation change because of time travel. The acting is very good, with Osment turning in a top performance. Gillian Anderson is full of surprises - from X-Files to work in England, including a highly-touted Streetcar Named Desire - she's obviously a dedicated performer, and it shows here.

I liked it - you care about the characters, and the story is good. Can't ask for much more.

Erol (Haley Joel Osment) and his grandfather (Victor Garber) work together using quantum physics to develop the ability to travel back in time, with the aim of repairing a family shattered by the disappearance 12 years earlier of Erol's father (Rufus Sewell).

This is a movie about relationships and the possible selfish impacts of time travel upon them. For example, if Erol travels back in time to prevent his father's disappearance, how can he guarantee his fiancée (Susanna Fournier) that they will still be together in the new version of the present day?

This is not an action movie. There are no special effects. It is essentially a mystery drama with time travel acting as the primary plot device.

I enjoyed the movie. Its definitely not perfect. A little slow in places.

I read several reviewers complain about the casting of Haley Joel Osment. I thought he was fine, though given his physical appearance it is hard to imagine him being the son of Rufus Sewell and Gillian Anderson and the grandson of Victor Garber. However, if you can suspend your disbelief and believe that a couple of men writing mathematical equations on a chalk board can make time travel possible, then anything is possible.

I liked this movie!

As a scientist, I like sci-fi movies that don't have gaping, roll-your-eyes holes in the science. As awful lot of "small" sci-fi movie are just plain stupid. This is a small movie, with nothing much in the way of special effects, but it doesn't have that problem. It rings true.

I like smart characters, too, and I like decent, well-meaning characters. Too many movies are weighed down by characters who just make you want to grab them and shake them and scream, "what's the matter with you, you idiot?" Not this one.

There are no nasty, stupid, or unlikable characters in this movie, and, of the major characters, only Grace is a bit shallow. I'll Follow You Down combines excellent character development with a fine (if somewhat unoriginal) sci-fi plot, a couple of romances, a few nice plot twists, and just the right amount of suspense. Good movie!

I'LL FOLLOW YOU DOWN (aka: CONTINUUM) is a well-made science fiction film about dire loss and the desire to go back and "fix" things.

When a brilliant physicist (Rufus Sewell) vanishes without a trace, it devastates his wife, Marika (Gillian Anderson) and son, Erol (Haley Joel Osment).

Years later, Marika is still haunted by the disappearance, nearly unable to function. Errol, while going through similar agony, discovers that his grandfather has been working on something that just may be the key to the entire mystery.

This film has drama, tension, and an emotional quagmire, along with its sci-fi elements.

Right up front, it's important to know that Ms. Anderson plays a supporting role, and isn't in the movie very much. Sewell is only in it for about 5 minutes.

This is Osment's movie, and he's quite good, making one wonder where he went after THE SIXTH SENSE! Here, he's the central character in a tale of love, hope, and human ingenuity.

Very much worth seeing...

This came on TV the other day and I had nothing else to do. I didn't know what the movie was about, or who the actors were. I recognized Haley Joel Osment, and kind of did a double take. (More of the "Yikes. Has it been that long?" kind.) The story is a sci-fantasy story, but that's not the driving factor. There is little (almost none) in the way of special effects, and it doesn't need it. The plot centers around Erol, whose father left for a conference, and disappeared. But there is more to it than just a disappearance, and with his grandfather he figures it all out. I thought the acting could have been better in places, as it was very character driven. I won't put spoilers, but I didn't see the ending coming. Definitely worth getting the popcorn out for.