Timecrimes (2007)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Timecrimes (2007) – N. Vigalondo

A time-travel thriller that manages to hold together all the way through is something wondrous to behold. Of course, there is nothing “deep” here, just pure genre film-making that uses a low budget to weave a magical web of plot complexity.  But there may yet be a philosophical question at its heart:  if you travel back in time, would you meet yourself? And if those two selves meet, if they could, what would happen?  In this case, middle aged Hector is encouraged (by the director Nacho Vigalondo) to jump into a laboratory machine which promptly transports him a couple of hours back in time.  Naturally, once there, he manages to screw up the course of reality – but how to fix it?  The answer has him on the run for most of the film’s 90 or so minutes, keeping viewers from catching their breath (and mulling over the possible plot inconsistencies).  Moreover, the film might actually count as a neo-noir of sorts, if you consider that Hector (the protagonist) got himself into this plight by pursuing a naked woman in the woods after seeing her accidentally with his binoculars (and the ending is also very dark).  If he had just refrained, then all would have been different. Or at least that’s one version of what could have been.  Calling Hector 1 – 2 – 3 – 4!