Time Now: Review

21st October 2021

Jenny (Eleanor Lambert) has been estranged from her family for some time. When her twin brother, Gonzo (Sebastian Beacon) unexpectedly dies though, Jenny has to go home to be reacquainted with the family.

When she does get home, her mother Helen (Jeannie Thompson), isn’t exactly thrilled to see her. However, Jenny’s aunt Joan (Claudia Black) is more than happy to pick up where they left off, especially when she meets Jenny’s son.

Time Now is a drama about grief, loss and family which takes its time in telling its story. The pacing and the setting for Time Now does make its audience wait, but it also makes it feel more real. As Jenny starts to meet more people that were in her brother’s life, she realises that she could always rely on her brother to do the right thing.

Although as the story of the last few days of his life are told, Jenny comes to realise that that can’t be said for everybody else.

The story for Time Now has many avenues it could have gone down. It could have been a heart-warming drama about getting back with family and healing old wounds. It could have been a crime thriller where Jenny’s hunt for her brother’s killer could have ended in a dramatic and satisfying showdown. It could have also been about the emotional journey that Jenny takes as she grieves for the person that she was the closest to in her life.

Unfortunately, although Time Now goes for a realistic portrayal of life and doesn’t try to go the melodramatic route to play on audience’s emotions, it does feel like the characters are at an arm’s length. The audience gets to know Jenny through her interactions with people and the stories they tell told in flashbacks help to round out a character that they didn’t get to know. However, when it comes down to Jenny’s motivations and her feelings, it feels like the filmmakers want the audience to have to assume without saying.

This may have worked in some films, but the ending may leave people feeling a bit cold. This is because although some may have guessed where it was going, there never really is a connection that gives the audience a reason to understand her.

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