TiMER (2009)

TIMER pretends to be forward-thinking, then "ironically" twists it so that intuitive human love is correct after all without any gadgets. This to me makes the entire premise anti-human on two levels: (1) that we as a species would actually do something this stupid, (2) that we're just monkeys without the gadgets. So, damned if we do, damned if we don't.What this does is justifies the promiscuity, the "blazing hot anonymous sex" with strangers that passes the time until you meet "the one," or else the "it doesn't matter anyway" attitude because "the one" is coming anyway. The movie is furthermore told from an upper-class perspective, so there is the usual digs at privileged living (boring for me to watch). In the same vein, there is a misanthropic anger at people the writer(s) don't particularly like, such as Mary in the nursing home, in a brief scene that really sums up the viciousness of this film.The tender music score belies this boiling anger at love and life. As many have already pointed out, the ending is a middle finger to the entire move, as well as the audience for having participated. It's like they weren't sure whether to fulfill the technological destiny of the vision or go with a complete reversal of our thoughts on Timer, period, but went for a ridiculous middle ground, "whatever turns you on." Besides hedonistic, this is against the premise, that it's NOT whatever turns you on but rather what is supposed to be long-term right for you ,as when Oona met with her father, who seemed to have some insight into destiny - but, stupidly, only because he had a timer :-/Good acting, I guess, for this nonsense. Attractive cast. Good form and pacing. But it's like a pleasant classic statue with paint splotched all over it intentionally. It's supposedly a message but it's really more like a tantrum.

The Timer is a small device which told the person who had it attached exactly when he or she will meet their soul mates. Oona, a woman whose mother was desperately relying on the thing, has her timer completely blank since she got it so she spends a lot of time trying to figure out the problem. Meanwhile, fortunately for her, she meets a charming boy, younger than her, which will play an important role in the nearby future.It's an enjoyable comedy which bases on a pretty interesting concept (the Timer) and presents a bunch of people whose lives are deeply affected by this expensive gizmo. As much as I liked the movie (most of it) I have to say that the finale is simply catastrophic. They ruined it as badly as they could, from a tangled but pretty love story to an unnecessary Timer intervention which makes everything fall apart. Pity, as it could have been a much better movie if it wasn't for that stupid ending

TiMER has an intriguing premise that is not as sci-fi as it may initially appear. With okcupid match percentages and other forms of rating and quantifying romance, are we really that far off from our own transdermal love timers? Some reviewers criticized TiMER's plot holes and unconvincing character development, particularly in light of the unexpected and unsatisfactory ending. But really, what kind of ending did you expect? For a film that critiques the impact of technology on human agency --which extends to larger discourses regarding fate and predestination -- I found the ending to be appropriately bleak. It seems to be that Oona and Dan are trying to convince themselves that the timer is accurate...trying to reason their way into falling in love because the odds are on their side.(And by the way, I do not buy Oona's "independent woman" routine of superficial empowerment at all). If we see the ending as Oona and Dan's way of slowly fulfilling the timer's prophecy, then paradoxically they are using their new-found agency (i.e. ignoring the timer) to get closer to each other --whether by coincidence or "fate." This might be intended to make viewers question the other timer matches in the film; is love just something that you fall into because a higher power --in this case, biotechnology -- compels you to? This puts into question other ordinances of predestination and our compulsion (whether it's peer pressure, a desire for a higher purpose, etc) to put blind faith into them. TiMER is not a cinematic masterpiece, nor is it striving to be. Regardless, it really made me reflect on notions of human agency, biotechnology, fate and predestination the way any impactful film should.

I can't communicate how much I love this movie. Definitely a film for indie, sci/fi, romance lovers. Its almost like reading a short novel - on the surface its still enjoyable, but it has so much irony, symbolism, and subtlety to it that it seems to still have something in it every time you watch it. Like many other reviewers have said, it is very thought-provoking. To be honest, this helped me a lot through a bad breakup. Are we really meant to have only one "soul-mate"? And how much is it supposed to hurt when we end it with someone that doesn't turn out to be "the one"? On top of all the emotional questions it brings up, this movie is honest, well acted, clever, funny, and quirky. It might not be for everyone or every situation (first date-wise, probably a snore) but its well-worth it for anyone with an appreciation for quirkiness and deeper- meanings. Well done! PS. So...anyone else notice how identical the TiMER store is to the Apple store?