About Time

Existing product research and analysis

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About Time
Cast: -Rachel McAdams -Domhnall Gleeson -Bill Nighy Writer/Director: Richard Curtis Release date: 8th August 2013 Location: London, UK Distribution Company: Universal Pictures

Plot: About time shows a series of events which the main character Domhnall Gleeson (Tim) has from a boy who struggles to get girls to then discover he can travel in time. The night after another unsatisfactory New Year party, Tims father (Bill Nighy) tells his son that men in the family have the ability to travel through time. Tim cant change history, but he can change what happens and has happened in his own life so he decides to make his world a better place by getting a girlfriend. However, when he accidentally erases he time line he must try and win her over again. It shows a relationship between him and his girlfriend (Rachel Mcadams) along with the relationship he shares with his father (Bill Nighy).

Genre

Genre: Rom Com The iconography of the trailer shows through the light hearted movie as there is a close relationship between the couple through scenes of them kissing, in the bedroom as well as a scene where they are getting married. This shows evidence of the genre as it features what is expected in a rom com film. The trailer focuses on the relationship between them both which allow us to know that the film is based around their story.

Its a hybrid genre, the plot of the film is reinforced into the genre, it shows the typical rom-com film where boy meets girl and then something happens which needs to be fixed. In About Time, Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) falls in love with Mary (Rachel Mcadams) who found out that the boys in the family could turn back in time which allowed Tim to find this relationship. This goes through the different events which happen in his life and how he tries to fix it whilst keeping his relationship with Mary.

Media Language

Media Language: Within the trailer there was short clips of the couple sharing passionate scenes where they are getting married or meeting the parents. There is brief clips of the different parts of the scenes along with a fast paced sound track in the background to follow the clips. The short cuts are so that not as much are revealed and keeps the audience interested. There is a faded editing, in reverse to show the time travelling and flashbacks to previous events which happens throughout the film.

There is also slow motion editing in the trailer when the car crash occurs, it shows the different emotion and affects on the characters. The billboard/poster for about time shows the relationship between the couple where they are laughing to each other shows the relationship between them being romantic. She is also wearing red, this symbolises romance, love, danger it can connect to the relationship as its there wedding day.

Audience

Audience: The audience for About Time would be around the ages of 16-30, particularly women or people who are in a relationship/are married. The film shows this through the story being based on their relationship and the struggles Tim finds to get a girl. This is the typical rom-com story as boy meets girl. I would aim my target around that particular age group as it is suitable for all ages, particular middle age women who are stereotyped to like rom-com movies.

The audience for About Time is portrayed through the mood and atmosphere which is created through the relationships of the characters. Where Tim and Mary show the romantic theme, Tim and his father show the connection between father and son. This allows the audience to enjoy the typical rom-com along with the elements within the film which show us the genre of this.

Representatio n

Representation: About time shows the love and relationship between characters within the film its represented by the different scenes allowing us to recognise these through the basic stereotypes. Although a subverted stereotype is used with the main character Tim, being a ginger stereotype of not being able to get the girl to being able to find his love. This is shown through the most obvious relationship of the film.

We can see how he goes from being the stereotype ginger to changing the way he acts to find the girl from the storyline. The basic love story is also carried out in the film as boy meets girl is portrayed within the storyline. The character types are generally basic characters whom the story consists of, where the father of Tim confesses about the boys in the family being able to turn back time this develops a closer relationship with them two.

Narrative

Narrative: Within the trailer it shows small clips of the storyline, it allows us to see sneak clips within the film giving us a generally knowledge of what it is going to be about. The trailer consists of a 60second video about the film which gives us an idea of the plot allowing us to see the different characters and their relationship. The trailer allows us to notice how Tim went from being the stereotypical ginger not being able to pull/find girls to then finding out from his father that he is able to turn back time. This allowed Tim to change a few mistakes he had made letting him find girls easier.

The trailer also tells us about the relationship between Tim and Mary with the romantic scenes allowing us to see the chemistry between these two, from the clips including the marriage scene, them in the bedroom and romantic scenes throughout. The trailer also includes relationships with Tims dad after finding out the family secret, this allows them to create a closer relationship enabling Tim to change his past and create a better result to what he may of messed up on, although Tim finds out turning back time isnt always a good thing when a car crash occurs and he cant stop it.

Theories
Vladmir Propp- Vladmir prop shows the different characters within the film, it allows us to see the roles they each play along with the way the relationship is. There are different roles commonly known in Vladmir Propps theory known from The villain, The hero, The damsel in distress/Princess, The father, The donor, The helper, The dispatcher and The false hero. They are all portrayed in most films with the characters showing this role allowing us to identify them. It allows us to see the narrative functions to show the story line throughout this. Mary being known as the Princess by being Tims love along with Tims father playing the father and the donor telling Tim about the skill which the males in the family are allowed to do. There isnt any heroes in the film although the film is based on the typical romance film. Levi Strauss- Levis theory is to show that every film has binary opposites, this is to allow the audience to see the different situations with different moods or feelings towards them. Within the film About Time the binary opposites feature love/hate, sad/happy, good news/bad news and surprises/expected events. All these may happen for a reason, such as the story line being that Tim finds out he can change back time the surprises may occur although he can change back time and then be expected to see something happen which may be a good thing or bad. Binary opposites occur in every film, to allow them to see two different sides of things. Todorov theory- Todorovs theory allows the audience to understand the equilibrium at the start, being Tim and his family and then Tim finding out he can change back time, he is able to redo some mistakes and find the love of his life. The disruption is the consequences that come with changing back time, his father the happens to be in a car crash which may be involved with Tim changing time. The problem is then restored or tried to be restored, Tim tries to turn back time to stop the crash although his father tells him that he cant change everything although his father seems to be ok in the trailer. The disruption is resolved, Tim gets married (in the trailer) Tims father seems to be ok.