The Spanish thriller Timecrimes is in many ways a throwback to both classic whodunit mysteries and time-travel science fiction. Writer/director/co-star Nacho Vigalondo is certainly channeling Philip K. Dick with his singular plot line that quickly grows in complexity when the moral and logical conundrums of archetypal time-travel dilemmas come into play. The question is whether Timecrimes finds a unique voice within this well-explored genre.
The set-up is quite simple, Hector and Clara are settling in to their new country home. Surveying the surrounding forest with binoculars, Hector sees what appears to be a naked woman in the trees. He discreetly slips away to investigate while Clara is off on an errand. As Hector attempts to revive the woman, he is suddenly stabbed in the arm by a mysterious man whose head is covered in bandages. Terrified, Hector runs through the woods until he finds a strange laboratory, where he attempts to seek refuge.
This first act was by no means terrible, but a few logical missteps managed to throw off the rest of the film. For one thing, why didn’t Hector run back to his house? It didn’t seem to be very far away. When he then finds a seemly helpful fellow at the laboratory who coaxes him into hiding in a strange vat filled with white liquid, the time-travel mayhem is ready to begin. But when the classic “what happens if you meet your past self?” and “do not alter any past events!” tropes begin to play out, the logical flaws in the setup undermine the mind-twisting fun of the time-travel drama.
Normally I’m not a stickler for perfect logic in films. I’m willing accept irrational decisions made by characters for the sake of the plot. But I think the flaws in narrative causality in Timecrimes threw me off precisely because it’s a time-travel movie, and as such it relies heavily on logic. I remember having heated, mind-bending debates with my brother about the logical intricacies of Back to the Future. Which is exactly the fun of these movies, they work like a brain teaser.
A few twists that were supposed to function as “ah-ha” moments revealed their mysteries too quickly, only to be followed by tedium as the revelation played out. By the final act of the film, when multiple Hectors are simultaneously thwarting one another, my willingness to play along with the mind-games ran out. I don’t think Vigalondo tied up all the loose ends, but I honestly don’t know. I don’t have the will to try to figure it out.
Karina reported earlier that the remake rights for Timecrimes were picked up by United Artists. While I’m normally a see-the-European-original kind of guy, this may be good news. There’s quite a bit to work with here. The perplexing and tense climax could work, if the characters had been better developed, and the logical kinks were ironed out. The remake could well measure up to tried and true time-travel films, but ultimately the script doesn’t bring any surprising revelations to the genre.
