One of the most difficult tasks in movie production is to achieve the "credible" fantasy. It is so rarely done that when the movie goer is fortunate enough to stumble across one, the euphoric appreciation becomes the stuff of which cult films are made. The writer must begin with a plot that is intriguing, engaging and mesmerizing to the point that his audience is willing to enthusiastically embrace it despite the fact that they know it could never happen. It must take them to a place where they would love to be, and a place that, outside that theater, they know they will never go. It must walk the narrow path, avoiding manipulation, predictability and silliness, with sufficient logic and serious thought to maintain internal credibility . The basic premise can be outrageously unbelievable as long as the events seem realistic to the viewer within that framework. When the audience can rationalize that despite the unlikelihood of the plot's premise, the events would have occurred and the characters would have reacted as depicted under those circumstances, the writer has done his job. When romance is part of the credible fantasy, the mission is doubly demanding. Here the actors must cast a spell that enthralls their audience to the point that they actually yearn for a fulfillment of the mutual attraction that exists between the characters. To do this requires exceptionally talented directors and actors. Somewhere In Time is one of those extraordinary films that reaches this seldom obtained goal. Not that it is the perfect motion picture, I'm afraid I haven't had the pleasure of viewing that one yet. But its flaws are so innocent and charming that they actually add to its appeal. In that respect, I guess it is the quintessential day dream. Watch it and enrich your life with a thoroughly enjoyable 103 minutes.
Review of Somewhere in Time
