In Still Time or Era Ora, a workaholic man is forced to question his priorities when he is thrust forward one year in every few hours. The Italian comedy-drama film is now streaming on Netflix.
Story
On one of his birthdays, Dante (Edoardo Leo) begins to experience something supernatural. Every few hours, he is sent one year forward in time.
As he jumps one year after another, he finds himself drifting further away from her partner, Alice, and progressing on the work front.
Even in the past, he had always been a workaholic who neglected her. He did not appreciate the little things that she did, such as surprising him on his birthday.
With each leap, and conversations with Alice (Barbara Ronchi), his friend Valerio (Mario Sgueglia), and his father, Dante slowly begins to question whether he put in effort in the right place.
Was he always too engrossed in his work and neglected his friends and family?
Performances
None of the performances stand out and the characters are generic from a dramedy. The trope of a man neglecting his family for work is also done to death.
Positives
Dante’s arc is well structured. His gradual understanding of his faults feels authentic and comes with numerous moving conversations.
All three of his catalysts for change: Alice, Valerio and his father, are highlights of the film. They show him what he truly cherishes in life.
It improves as it progresses. The second half, and especially the conclusion, are much better than the sloppy start of the film.
Negatives
The years go by a bit too quickly and after a point, it becomes hard to understand whether another one has passed during the instance.
Still Time would have benefitted from fewer time lapses that explore the time period more. You barely get time to understand the situation before it leaps forward again.
The storyline is a mishmash of drama and comedy cliches and tropes. There is nothing fresh about the film at all.
Verdict
If you want to watch another cliched dramedy, Still Time could appeal to you. For everyone else, better to skip this one.
Still Time
Director: Alessandro Aronadio
Date Created: 2023-03-16 12:30
2.5
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