TiMER
“TiMER” is the new indie gem from first time director Jac Schaeffer and has an amazing cast that we’ve seen all over television. Emma Caulfield plays Oona, a single lady with a problem. Her TiMER hasn’t started! The timer in reference here is the plot device that drives the whole movie, while also adding a cute bit of sci-fi goodness at the same time. The TiMER in this case is a little implant Oona and many other people have on their wrists that counts down to the second that you will find your one true love. In this case you could see Oona as being the hopeless romantic type, but in fact she self-sabotages herself by convincing every date she goes out with to get a TiMER themselves, and when their clocks don’t match, she breaks up with them. Rather than let fate decide who she’ll fall in love with and be with the rest of her life, she relies on technology to do it for her (a great metaphor really for a lot of those online dating sites that claim to match you up with your perfect partner). The supporting cast in this film includes “Dexter” alums Michelle Borth as Oona’s stepsister Steph, Desmond Harrington playing Steph’s boyfriend Dan the Man, as well as “Gossip Girl’s” John Patrick Amedori (Desmond and Patrick were both in “Gossip Girl” actually) playing Oona’s love interest in the story.
For a first-time director (and she also wrote the movie), Jac Schaeffer does an excellent job of getting her vision onto the screen. The story moves well, the shots look great and the actors don’t seem to be meandering about like can be seen in some independent films. Everyone looks comfortable and believable in their roles which is a tribute to both the actors and actresses, and also the director that moves them through the picture. Jac’s story is well thought out, funny, and for the most part avoids most of the cliche’s that pepper most mainstream romantic comedies today.
The cinematography in this movie is stellar. If I didn’t already know this was an independent film, I would have sworn it was a studio production. The film is shot clean, well framed, well lit, and the set dressing is superb. I know that this movie had slightly more funding than most independent features, but you can tell that every dollar spent went to the quality of the film. The stars in this film were certainly worth every cent, as was any money spent on the look of the film. It is all put together in one amazing package labeled TiMER.
The soundtrack on this flick was well done too, the only complaint being that the score used throughout the movie is slightly overused, and while it is quirky and fun, becomes a little tiresome about 2/3’s of the way through the movie. Other than that, the sound direction (in all cases, both the sound of the talent, foley, and music) is very well done and again is a clear sign that both Jac and her producers on set knew what they were doing during both production and post-production.
Great first effort by Jac and I can’t wait to check out her next endeavor. I caught TiMER at the CT Film Festival, and I recommend that people seek it out at a festival near them if they are lucky enough.
