What to Watch This Weekend: November 1, 2013

This weekend, check out a quirky British romantic comedy, a prequel to one of the most beloved Pixar movies of all time, or two "Thor" related streaming movies!

In Theaters: About Time

About Time tells a wonderful love story following two unlikely lovers, Tim and Mary. All the men in Tim's family have the ability to travel back in time, and Tim uses it to try and control all aspects of his life.  Eventually, Tim learns how much of life is simply beyond your control. It has a great British charm, clever writing, and an endearing story. 

On DVD: Monsters University

Monsters U is a very good movie. It's not better than the original, but that’s expected when the source material is so good. However, Monsters U is a fun, charming prequel that achieves what so many other prequels fail to do: tell a meaningful, entertaining, and interesting tale while filling in the back-story of the characters and world that you love.

Streaming (Netflix and Amazon): Thor

Thor: The Dark World comes out next week, so make sure you've got the back story of this Avenger before seeing the sequel. It's available on both Netflix and Amazon and tells the story of Thor, the god of Asgard who is cast out and forced to live among mortals on earth. 
Netflix Link: http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Thor/70141586
Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Thor-Natalie-Portman/dp/B005H9B2CE

Streaming (Netflix): Kon-Tiki

Continuing the Thor related movie recommendations, Kon-Tiki tells the story of explorer Thor Heyerdahl's epic 4,300-mile crossing of the Pacific on a balsawood raft in 1947, in an effort to prove that it was possible for South Americans to settle in Polynesia in pre-Columbian times. Kon-Tiki was nominated for best foreign language film at the 85th Oscars so make sure to check it out for free this weekend.
Netflix Link: http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Kon-Tiki/70260989?trkid=2361637

Review: About Time

Release date: November 8, 2013

Running time: 123 minutes

Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Lydia Wilson, Lindsay Duncan
Who to see it with: A fan of romantic dramedies, especially British ones.

David:

About Time tells the story of a boy named Tim (Gleeson) whose male family members have the ability to travel back in time. He finds out about this amazing talent on his 21st birthday and decides to use it to find love. He quickly meets Mary (McAdams) and begins an unusual courtship where he attempts to make every moment perfect. Tim quickly learns, however, that you can't change everything about the past, and sometimes the best parts of life are the ones that are outside of your control. 

I knew I would love this movie because of it's pedigree; I'm a huge fan of romantic dramedies in general and British ones in particular. About Time is infused with British charm and a dry wit that you quickly fall in love with. The cast is relatively small, mostly consisting of Tim's family and Mary, which allows you to spend a lot of time with the interesting and quirky main characters and get a fairly deep understanding of them. They're fleshed out and kept entertaining by some clever writing. This writing also allows the scenes to stay interesting even though you might have already seen the event once before. What I liked most about this movie is that the length of the film allows it to explore many aspects of life. By dealing with some of life's sadder events, it becomes more than just a simple story of a man falling in love with a woman. As Tim experiences life, he begins to appreciate more of what life is about, and starts to understand what should be changed and what should simply be accepted and enjoyed. My favorite moments were ones when Tim asks Mary what she would change about a certain event and she says she would change absolutely nothing. About Time tells a wonderfully original story that explores how much of life is simply beyond your control. It has a great British charm, clever writing, and an endearing story. 

Watch it.

Trailer: About Time a.k.a. The Time Traveler's Girlfriend

Rachel McAdams has already been the Time Traveler's Wife, but did you think that that dramatic movie needed more quirky British characters and humor? If so, you'll love About Time (which I lovingly refer to as the Time Traveler's Girlfriend). It's a comedy from the creators of Love Actually, Notting Hill, and Four Weddings and a Funeral. About Time stars Domhnall Gleeson (of Harry Potter fame) whose family's men have the ability to travel back in time. His dad, played by Bill Nighy, informs him he can use this power to correct any mistake in his life. Logically, he decides to use time travel to get a girlfriend, who happens to be McAdams. The trailer looks clever and if you liked Love Actually, I imagine you will like this as well. Personally, I can't wait to see this one or the next movie, the Time Traveler's Mistress. About Time travels to theaters on November 8, 2013.