This movie is Robin Hood of the future, where time is currency and the criminal police are replaced by Timekeepers.  The poor are segregated by miles of highway and toll booths that cost years of time.  The pace of life is fast, as everyone needs to run for time to live and families share time for survival.  The rich have beautiful scenery; there is no need to hustle through life because they have an abundance of time. 

This was a clever twist on an old story that keeps the viewer interested.  The folklore of Robin Hood and the remnants of what can happen when the lower class soon finds wealth unlimited has not been challenged or questioned.  The writers have given pause for thought when millions of years of wealth are spread to the poor.  How can society survive if there is no one to do the jobs necessary?  The factories will become desolate and day to day material items will not be restocked.  No one will be willing to do the hard labor needed for progression. 

The Minute Men take the place of the mob and look to steal time for their own survival.  They do not participate in the working poor lifestyle but live a bit above that by taking from those who cannot afford the luxury protections such as guns.  They represent the school bully who steals lunch money from other kids on the playground.  

Once a person reaches the age of 25, their body stops aging and they are given one year to live. They must work to earn more time for their survival.  The cost of living does not fluctuate; it only increases.  The cost of bus fare one day can double or triple the next and so the poor begin to learn how to run with break neck speed to get to someone or somewhere that they can get time transferred to them.  However the person looks at age 25 is how they will remain until they die as the age process stops.

This is not date night material but it has a good storyline and can raise an eyebrow or two.  The real question is can this ensemble cast carry a movie beyond the first week.  Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) is the Robin Hood-esque character whose father died under questionable circumstances.  Rachael Salas (Olivia Wilde) is Will's very youthful looking mother who, along with her son, has created a scheduled lifestyle for extensions on their lives.  Borel (Johnny Galecki) is Wills best friend who has a wife, Greta (YaYa DaCosta) and a baby he supports.

Fortis (Alex Pettyfer) is the leader of the Minute Men who steal time for their own subsistence.  When someone else comes into a bountiful of time, he will swoop in for the kill.  His henchmen, Kors (Toby Hemingway) and Jaeger( Collins Pennie), will not hesitate to eliminate anyone who attacks their leader.

 Henry Hamilton (Matt Bomer) is a man who has lived over 100 years and knows there is corruption in the system.  For one rich person to persevere many poor must die.  After being rescued from the Minute Men by Will, he waits until he is asleep and transfers his huge wealth stored years, leaving himself 5 minutes.  Will wakes up to find that he no longer has to live day to day and has the currency to get him and his mother out of their poor living conditions.  Will watchers Henry die while he is sitting on a bridge, letting his last seconds tick away.

Leon (Cillian Murphy) is the leader of a squad of Timekeepers who have the tasks of protecting the rich, time-drenched elite from being robbed by the poor.  He begins investigating Will as possibly the person responsible for the death of Henry Hamilton.  More important to him is recovering the ample time he believes Will stole from Henry.  Philippe Weis (Vincent Kartheiser) is one of the richest and most powerful men living in luxury of time.  He owns the factories that allow those less fortunate to work for more time on their lives.  His banks offer high interest loans for time added to their lifeline.  He meets Will at a card game and is impressed by his play.  Will wins an extreme amount of time during the game and is invited to a party at Philippe's mansion.  Philippe would rather let his family die than give up even a minute of time.

Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried) is the daughter of Philippe and her privileged life has left her wondering about what it would be like to live amongst the poor.  This idea is tested when the Timekeepers show up at the party to take Will to jail, but Sylvia is taken hostage and used as bait for his escape.  He smitten demeanor towards Will quickly fades and she is unwilling to lend him any time during his getaway.  The tables turn quickly when the Minute Men find them, and thinking Will has died in a car crash, steal time from Sylvia's unconscious body.  The Timekeepers are close by so the Minute Men must leave before transferring all of her time.

The film is well worth the money at a matinee price but thankfully it is not really a date night movie.  You will not need to bring a box of tissues and will not walk out of the theater shaking your head in astonishment.  The actors are very deeply immersed in their characters and everyone gets to play a bit off type cast.  This in itself always raises the stakes for our reviews.  We never want to see the same actor playing the same character with just a reworked story-line.  This gives this film a little edge over the competition.   

RUSTY
10/28/11