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| Paramount Pictures |
One thing that a film
concerning time travel can do without basically even trying is bring up lots of
questions, questions regarding several different aspects. Questions about the
story, the plot points that are affected by the time travel subject matter and
even the ethical and moral implications of the act. The more complex and in
depth the time travel story line is, the more questions. Project Almanac is no exception to this occurrence. On top of
entertaining, Project Almanac brings
up plenty of questions.
In
a way of revealing the ‘found footage’ type of approach that the film takes, Project Almanac quickly introduces the
audience to David (Jonny Weston) and his two friends, Quinn (Sam Lerner) and
Adam (Allen Evangelista), as David is creating a college admissions video for
MIT. Soon after this, David receives the desired acceptance letter from the school.
The problem is though, that in order to pay the high tuition, his mother Kathy
(Amy Landecker) decides to sell the house. Unwilling to let his her do this,
David, along with his sister Christina (Virginia Gardner), try’s to find any unfinished
work of his later Father’s (Gary Weeks), an inventor, to complete and hopefully
get a scholarship to cover the tuition. In doing so, they find an old video
camera that has footage of David’s 7th birthday party. One oddity
though, present day David can be seen in a mirror on the tape. This suggest
that time travel exists, leading to David, his sister and his friends finding
the work his father started and creating some sort of time machine.
Like
almost any ‘found footage’ style of film, Project
Almanac could do what it does without it. It is easy to ask yourself as you
are watching it, “How did the camera catch that?” and think a handful of times
that there is no way a camera would be placed there. It also is a little
annoying to hear characters recite lines that pertain to filming everything, as
if they keep justifying the ‘found footage’ cinematography. With this said
though you really have to be in a bad mood or feel like picking every detail
apart to really care that it doesn’t always work because for the most part, it
really doesn’t hurt the film. At times it can be rather enjoyable.
Maybe
it’s just me, maybe not but there is something about a camera recording an
empty room that puts me on the edge of my seat. The fact that I don’t really
know what exactly is going to happen on the screen or when and where it is
going to happen produces a trilling feeling within. It’s what made Paranormal Activity so good, and while
Project Almanac doesn’t use this device on the same level and is miles away
from the horror genre, there are still a couple of moments in the film where it
is used and works.
The
‘found footage’ aspect also works in regards to the romantic side of the story.
In the process of creating a time machine, David becomes acquainted with a girl
from his school, Jessie (Sofia Black-D’Elia), whom he happens to have a crush
on. As they get to know each other more, the two develop strong feelings for
one another. The filming style gives this a even more natural feel that really
enhances an already entertaining aspect of the film. Also aiding in this is
both Weston and Black-D’Elia as they are solid in the roles, giving the
emotions that come with attraction which allows the audience to be interested
in what is going on between these characters.
While
being delightfully amusing, this relationship, as it is affected by time
travel, also brings up question about responsibility and ethics. Of course were
talking about the fantastical act of physically going back in time with a machine
but being able to do this means power and power isn’t science fiction. In the
film, the teenage characters, stumble into enormous power when they create the
ability to travel back in time. The question is, are they of the age to handle this
kind of responsibility? The film suggests no but what would a reasonable age
be? Would anyone be responsible enough?
If
so, if maturity matters when concerning time travel or power, what is worth
going back for, what is worth using power for? Would you change anything? David
goes back to change an encounter with Jessie that hindered their relationship.
This ultimately negatively affects several people, allowing the film to suggest
that second chances can’t happen through recreation but through earning them.
When
David attempts to fix everything that went wrong when he changed something
about the past, is when the film gets a little messy. This could just be me being
too dumb to understand the time travel rules that film creates but I also
believe that some of this has to do with an ending that is rushed as it is too
concerned with wrapping things up rather than presenting a clearly planned out
finale that can tie everything together nicely.
As
a result, it all feels a bit anticlimactic and makes one wonder if any of the
characters learned anything or accomplished anything really significant.
Nerveless, a slightly disappointing ending isn’t enough to take down Project Almanac. Though it is most
likely a film for a younger audience, Project
Almanac is an exhilarating and entertaining entry in to the always
interesting time travel genre.
Grade:
B
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