In a world gone mad, this movie, with it's many flaws, is a breath of fresh air, it is a true feel good movie, and it has some fun sequences after he travels back to the past. I would recommend it to anyone just looking to turn their brain off and enjoy a movie, if they can ignore some flaws here and there.
This movie is very quaint and sweet. Sometimes, it's just nice to watch a movie that isn't filled with heavy handed "biting political commentary", most times, people just want entertainment instead of some divisive political message, and sadly, mainstream films are really missing the forest for the trees on this. I have long turned to low or no-budget movies for most of my entertainment, because the ideas are usually better, they are more creative, despite their often many shortcomings. If I want heavy-handed political messages I can also get it in low-budget films too, but instead of supporting some giant industry that is filled with a lot of corrupt people, I am supporting the individuals working on the movies.
Right from the get-go, I knew it was going to be filled with low-budget pitfalls and I was right. The effects are nonexistent, the time machine looks awfully silly and hokey with sparkly fabric and rope lights to make it look cool, .The acting from the lead is strong, but the acting from most of the other actors is inconsistent, though the worst offenders, thankfully, are in the least and only bookend the film. Yet, it is decently scripted(despite plot holes), adequately shot, good sound, and overall it is a really fun film. It is still fairly fresh in my mind 5 days later because it is a very fun and cute movie. The dialog in a lot of the scenes between the main character and his wife, is excellent, it feels real, there are plenty of other moments such as this as well when he interacts with his friends. The most unrealistic dialog come from the same mediocre actors who bookend the film. The main character is a jerk, and realistically a jerk, the actions those take against feel a lot more justified than most romantic films I've seen, he just comes off as a pretty normal, self-absorbed, clueless guy.
Wrapping the film around the directors home renovations is a very clever idea, and I as I watched it, I was wondering exactly how they were able to make the house be in disrepair and then i read about the film. This movie was clearly made with little money, but it found a clever way to convey the passing of time with a lot of money or locations. When you have little money, you have to come up with things that a big budget film never would. A big budget film would just build a house, or find a house to remodel, not use their own.
I loved this movie, and I believe it's flaws actually bolster it's charm. If you enjoy this film, definitely check out "11 Minutes Ago", the acting isn't as good, but the script is pretty strong, and it is more of an actual time travel film while still being a romantic comedy.
