Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel (2009)

Ray (Chris O'Dowd), Toby (Marc Wootton) and Pete (Dean Lennox Kelly) are out in the pub for the night, going through their usual rounds of beer, crisps and complaints about general things including movies, music and their dead-end lives in general. Well, they think they're facing a brick wall, but really things are about to get a little sci-fi—or, science fiction, if you're picky about that sort of thing. You see, when one of the guys goes into the toilet, he discovers that there's a "time-leak" somewhere within that causes them to leap back and forth along a timeline that risks all of them destroying the entire universe as they know it. Sound really nerdy? Well, it is. Except, it's not pedantic nerdy, but actually smart, witty and engagingly imaginer (don't ask). The resulting movie is one that excels in both situation and character comedy, whilst also telling a really good story to boot—while there are flaws in the entire design (most of which occur in the later stages as things get more and more complicated) Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel is a short, but sweet take on the science-fiction comedy that knows how to strike up a laugh or two, but not at the expense of story or character.

Even though just about one of the three central actors has had major exposure on British TV and more recently, cinema, the performances are pitch-perfect. Striking a firm balance between realism and expertly timed gags, Dowd, Wootton and Kelly provide the movie with enough charm and "boy humour" to prevent the movie from sinking in a pile of convoluted, unfunny esoteric nonsense. Rather, the light-hearted presence of the three allows the feature to breathe with a sense of personality; while the film deals largely with two eccentric nerds and one slightly less nerdy partner in crime; these guys aren't your typical silver screen cutout stereotypes usually afforded to such personas. Instead, director Gareth Carrivick strives to maintain a sense of realism about his movie which permeates throughout.

Rather surprisingly this manifests itself not just in the characters, but in the hammy, sci-fi plot itself which involves the three jumping around time and avoiding bumping into themselves—thus avoiding deadly paradoxes. The extent to which writer Jamie Mathieson goes to avoid even the sternest of science-fiction nerds from having a fit over Grandfather Paradoxes and erroneous Chaos Theory debauchery is extremely welcome and really helps pad out the story even more than it is. Indeed, it could be argued that even though there are numerous timelines opened throughout the course of the movie, no real conflicts or holes are created at least until the final ten minutes. From here, things to get a little bit shifty for the sake of providing an ending that will please the average audience member, but even a little wink and a nod throughout this conclusion helps keep the movie's narrative in place. What results is a story that's not only refreshing through its willingness to go weird on you, but also through the sheer fact that weird never overcomes the viewer's suspension of belief.

In the end, FAQ About Time Travel does just about enough to strike a firm balance between story (which some will argue is king), character and silliness to ensure that your average viewer will be catered to. And while it isn't very likely that you will be blown away by the feature nor will it be emblazoned on your memory, the experience that is offers no matter how temporal, does well to entertain there and now. With some spot on performances and a tight script, Frequently Asked Questions is a smart and very funny take on the science-fiction genre that mixes situation with character humour effectively.

• A review by Jamie Robert Ward (http://www.invocus.net)