Aaron Ploof
There are many magic rings in this world, Bilbo Baggins, and none of them should be used lightly.
This famous quote from The Lord of the Rings is repurposed for the film Matter of Time, also featuring Sean Astin. In Matter of Time, the magic ring doesn’t grant invisibility but instead brings the passage of time to a halt. It’s just what aspiring game designer Charlie Fleck (Myles Erlick) needs to finish developing his first breakthrough game. However, with great power comes great responsibility…or in this case, rules. If Charlie doesn’t pay attention, time may slip away from him.
Matter of Time is a stylish, fast-paced action/sci-fi thriller that explores the importance of friendship and the costs of ambition. While well-made, it relies a little too much on flashbacks and falters a bit in the latter half of its story. However, the film still captures the joy of nerd culture. Anyone who’s a fan of The Lord of the Rings, Dungeons and Dragons, or video gaming will find a fun time here.
Charlie has always known that he was destined to be a game designer. With his mom (Arianne Martin) in his corner, he’s been charging towards his dreams ever since childhood. Yet as he’s grown older, responsibilities have piled up. Mom passes away from cancer, leaving just Charlie and his ailing father struggling to make ends meet. Charlie barely gets by, working as both a game developer and a food delivery guy. His real job, though, is ensuring his dad takes his meds.
Together with his friends, Bree (Ali Astin), Lucas (Patrick Britton), and Brian (Quinn Angell), Charlie has been working on his dream project, a video game dubbed Quicksand. Yet, as time passed by and with all the busyness, production ground to a halt. When Sugar Qube, the game company Bree works for, needs a new game pronto, Charlie sees an opening to pitch a new idea. However, the time limit set by the game’s investors for Bree’s boss (Jamie Alexander) is just three months. There’s no way Charlie can have a working demo by then.
Enter Gibbs (Sean Astin), a friend of Charlie’s who manages a local toy store. Gibbs is an all-around nerd, hosting a long-running game of D&D in the back room and quoting DC on the fly. One day, while visiting Gibbs, Charlie is introduced to a ring that can displace (pause) time. Gibbs warns him that it is not to be taken lightly. Charlie, however, knows this is the answer to his prayers. Besides, what drawbacks can a magic ring have?
The acting in this movie, especially from the leads, is quite impressive. Erlick nails his character’s likability, who, even as he descends into jerk territory, never entirely loses his charm. His passion for his interests is abundantly clear in the character, and he shares great chemistry with Ali Astin, who plays his on-screen crush. Astin, for her part, plays a relatively simple character, but manages to make her highly sympathetic. So do the rest of Charlie’s friends’ actors, Britton and Angell. They aren’t super well developed either, but their traits make them unique. Lucas is the spokesperson of the group, the friend who wants to bring everyone together. Brian is quiet; in fact, he only has one line in the film, but it’s an important and well-delivered one.
Sean Astin is the real draw here. His Gibbs serves as a mentor figure for Charlie, and, like his portrayal of Samwise in The Lord of the Rings, Astin plays a kind and wise friend to his counterpart. He’s firm, compassionate, and warm. As Charlie grows in obsession, losing his passion for his friendships, Gibbs becomes the main vehicle through which the film conveys its messages. One, that blind ambition can come at an extraordinary cost, and two, that, like The Justice League, friends are meant to stick together.
Jamie Alexander’s portrayal of Miles Sugar is very entertaining. Miles is eccentric, bombastic, and animated, making him a captivating antagonist. He waves his hands and enunciates like a maniac. He’s a treat to watch.
Visually and stylistically, the film employs several animated sequences that mimic a video game aesthetic. It also features captures of game footage that I suspect were made for the film itself. While the game sequences aren’t high quality, they are whimsical, fun, and short in their runtime, making them the perfect transition between live action footage. Other transition and montage scenes are frequently voiced over by Charlie’s narration, which works well for the film, delivering necessary exposition.
Speaking of exposition, the flashback tool is one that is used a bit too frequently here. Its main use is for dramatic and emotional effect, but the film continually uses similar footage, giving us information we already know, instead of staying with the characters in their moments. A few of the scenes feature some admittedly clunky dialogue and can run a little long. However, every actor is engaged, so viewers won’t lose interest.
Also, narratively speaking, the film loses its momentum towards the end, reaching its climax, solving its problems, and entering the falling action with still plenty of the film left to go. The ending is sweet, yet it is quite predictable. It mainly goes through the motions until the film’s conclusion.
Despite these flaws, Matter of Time is a joy. There are so many video game and comic book easter eggs and surprises. The director, Jeremy Snead, clearly has passion for the project, as do the cast and crew. Charlie may be losing time in this movie, but you won’t be wasting any watching it.
