I was dubious when I saw this on the i-player, thought it might have been a lengthy documentary about the practicalities and realities of time travel. It's just not as appealing when it's not quickly delivered by a skinny man with messy hair *Dr Who fantasy*. *ahem* Where was I?
Anyways, then I realised it was a film, made by the BBC. I'd never heard of it before, so naturally assumed it couldn't be much good. Then this morning I found myself with an hour and half to fill without much going on. I made myself a coffee and settled down to watch it.
What followed was a laughter filled 79 minutes has changed my view of British Cinema. Yes, it was low budget, yes, it was short, but it had heart! It's got some kind of big names in. Chris O'Dowd gives a great performance as Ray, the "imagineer" (read "Nerd") who lives his life wishing he was a Time Lord (sounds like someone I know...). He's a bit of an English stereotype, insecure and stuttery, never says the right thing, but he's IRISH! Nerdy and Irish. Super cute.
In contrast Anna Faris completely ripped apart the role of Cassie. You see, in the future, everyone is American (umm, dunno why). You might not know the name Anna Faris, but she's the girl from all the Scary Movie films, and My Super Ex-Girlfriend. She plays the typical dippy girl and completely over acts anything... you know, like every other film she's ever been in.
Of course there are a very limited number of actors in Britain, so if you've got any experience with BBC sci-fi (sorry Ray "Science Fiction") you'll recognise Dean Lennox Kelly as Tuly from Being Human, or Shakespeare from Doctor Who. He plays a similar character to Tuly. He's confident and mocks the others for their nerdiness.
Jamie Mathieson, the writer, also wrote an episode of Being Human (the one where George buys a cage and it gives him Tourettes), and it's a very similar kind of humour. You'll also enjoy this if you are a Doctor Who fan. It has the feel of one of those episodes of Doctor Who that is seen from someone outside the Tardis. Like "Love & Monsters", one of my favourite episodes.
There are some charming references to Star Wars, Narnia, Star Trek, Firefly and Terminator, which is nice for a geeky glowy feeling of togetherness... if you're into the geeky stuff. If not, you'll appreciate British humour similar to that of The Boat That Rocked or Four Weddings and Funeral. My brother’s watching it now and he’s laughing away. He’s no-where near as geeky as me. Worth a watch, and currently on the BBC I-Player :D
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