Shadows on the Wall | Time Travel Is Dangerous

Time Travel Is Dangerous

dir Chris Reading
prd Anna-Elizabeth Shakespeare, Hillary Shakespeare
scr Chris Reading, Anna-Elizabeth Shakespeare, Hillary Shakespeare
with Ruth Syratt, Megan Stevenson, Sophie Thompson, Johnny Vegas, Jane Horrocks, Guy Henry, Brian Bovell, Tom Lenk, Tony Way, Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Brian Blessed, Stephen Fry
release US Oct.24 aff,
UK Nov.24 frf
24/UK 1h39

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A riotously dry sense of humour mixes with full on nuttiness in this hilarious British time-travel comedy. Like Time Bandits meets Spinal Tap, this enjoyably scrappy film is a straight-faced mock-documentary recounting a loose, silly tale about likeable dorks playing with the fabric of the universe. Filmmakers Chris Reading and the Shakespeare sisters keep the audience laughing at ridiculous antics while also grounding everything enough for us to care.

Owners of the Cha Cha Cha vintage shop in Muswell Hill, North London, Ruth and Megan (Syratt and Stevenson) are delighted to discover a discarded bumper car nead a dumpster. And it has been retro-fitted as a time machine, DeLorean-style. They discover they can use it to travel into the past and plunder objects for their shop. Then they meet the members of science club Testis, including power-mad leader Martin (Henry) and the former TV scientist Ralph (Bovell), who invented the machine. He also warns them about the Unreason, a limbo area between time itself.

Narrated by Stephen Fry, the story spirals in various directions as Ruth and Megan become entangled with this amusingly earnest club, at which members continually present wacky inventions. And when Megan becomes trapped in the Unreason, playing an absurd card game with the Aviator (Horrocks), everyone must come to her rescue. This includes Ralph's old costar Robert (Vegas), who is still scarred by his time in the Unreason. All of this is peppered with outrageous sight gags, wordplay and pointed jokes, including some that only locals will get.

What's even more astonishing is that Syratt and Stevenson are non-actors who are playing themselves in their own real-life shop. Their comical timing is impeccable, as they blithely dart back into various periods for whatever loot they can carry. Or maybe just to get a takeaway from a favourite shop that's now closed. The ensemble cast around them dive fully into their roles, creating vivid characters who have their own quirks.

So even if there isn't much depth or character development, the film is thoroughly entertaining, largely because we haven't a clue what might happen next. It also looks terrific, with simple but eye-catching effects work and a sharp attention to detail. This is a proper gem of an independent movie, a simple idea (it's based on a short) carried out in a way that surpasses expectations. It deserves to have a cult following. And we'd gladly join this gang for further adventures.

themes, language, violence 2.Nov.24 frf

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