TIMER

Every so often a film comes along that is both utterly charming and deeply meaningful. TIMER, the sleeper of 2009, is such a flick.

Meet Oona above, played by the sweet and disarming Emma Caulfield. She lives in a futuristic world where singles can opt to have a "timer" implanted in their wrists. The device tells the user when he or she will meet "the one" in life. What a great premise for a story!

See the clock in the picture above? Emma, and her half-sister, are both obsessed with knowing exactly when they will meet their prince charmings. Naturally, both choose to have the implant.

Now, say that the device shows that some 365 days in the future, one of the sisters will find her ideal mate. Fine and dandy. But what if, in the interim, a wonderful young man comes along? Is he the ONE? How can you know if he does not wear a similar implant?

Get the idea? Wow, what fun!

Our daughter, who has an eye for fantastic films, insisted we see this film...and how right she was. TIMER is incredibly entertaining, incredibly witty, incredibly delightful. It's guaranteed to make you feel good. But it's also profoundly philosophical. Would you, the viewer, want your destiny controlled by a timer? Would you prefer to date a bunch of fools and have your heart broken? What if you could avoid the heartaches of dating?

Just another film about free will vs. destiny? Not at all. Because in this little gem, there's also a Faustian theme at play: once you put on the TIMER and have it indicate your perfect soulmate, you cannot change what will happen!

RUN out and rent this film...before any other! You will be charmed and overwhelmed with complex life questions.

GRADE: A++ Yes, the top grade by this former teacher who grants A++ oh so sparingly!