‘In Time’ delivers interesting, but far-fetched premise

Time is money. The phrase has been repeated as society’s mantra, particularly in the current day and age. But what if time actually was the world’s currency? According to the movie In Time (directed by Andrew Niccol), the audience will find that the system works much that way—there are still social classes, robbers, peasants, and aristocrats. The stakes of running out of time, however, are greater than that of running out of money. You don’t just declare bankruptcy. You die. Worries about running out of time plague Will Salas (Justin Timberlake) and his mother (Olivia Wilde) daily. When individuals reach age 25, they stop aging physically and are given one year on the clock displayed on their forearms to spend as they please. Even so, some people are better off than others, having as much as a century to spare and all the time in the world to waste. Will has always considered this to be unfair, and he gets a chance to do something about it when a meeting with a stranger leaves him with over a century of his own and causes a warrant to be sent out for his arrest. The film draws parallels with uncanny similarities to the state of today’s economic turmoil, packing with it a strong message about the social structure of the world. In addition to the more serious message, it also contains run-of-the-mill, action packed chases and a love interest between Will and Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried), who make a stunning couple as they attempt to change this sci-fi world together. Overall, In Time uses an interesting metaphor to drive an original idea. It offers an intriguing, entertaining point of view that might make people think about the way they spend their time. But with such an unrealistic and futuristic concept, viewers will likely simply leave as the credits roll saying, “good thing time isn’t REALLY money.” Overall rating: 7/10