Directed by Robert Vaughn and written by Allie Jennings, when a closeted teen inherits her deceased father’s journal, she discovers cryptic clues uncovering his secret life. To fulfil his dying wish, she must convince an alcoholic hearse driver to race her cross-country to attempt a long shot rendezvous with her father’s friend, Liza Minnelli. Starring: Anwen O’Driscoll, Charles Martin Smith, Deborah Cox, Sergio Di Zio, Jennifer Gibson, Robin Dunne and Myles Erlick.
When you hear the synopsis for This Time, you’re likely imagining something very chaotic and eccentric, so it may be a surprise to find that it’s actually unexpectedly understated. Robert Vaughn’s style focuses on the human condition, the strive to discover who we are and to make genuine connections with others. As well as tapping into the classic plot point of an unusual friendship, bringing together Grace (Anwen O’Driscoll) and Red (Charles Martin Smith) so that they can bring out the best in each other.
It’s a satisfying combination, there’s plenty of emotion and it can be touching at times. There’s a lot of sadness to it and some nicely realistic awkwardness, but the progression doesn’t work very well. Part of the problem being that the plot is transparent, it’s easy to see where this is going, and it spends more time on their misadventures than on the genuine emotional issues at work. There was the potential to unpack a lot of different topics here, from grief to addiction to identity and conversion therapy, but there isn’t the space to do all of those justice.
Working within a fairly brief runtime, it would have been a serious challenge to try and do a deep dive into all of them, but it feels as though the balance between that and exploring their friendship wasn’t quite there. Especially as This Time doesn’t lean into the quirky nature as much as you might hope, feeling as though it’s holding back. It’s missing out on a louder, vibrant energy to go along with its slightly bizarre story.
Although, that’s not to say it doesn’t have a good dose of personality, as its leading actors, Anwen O’Driscoll and Charles Martin Smith, bring plenty to the table. O’Driscoll gives us a familiar character in Grace, a young woman not sure of who she is, struggling with her sexuality but determined to make a better life for herself than her religious family is pushing her toward. She’s naïve and vulnerable but kind and caring, while Smith’s Red is a classic curmudgeon and the two bring each other out of their own shells in different ways. It’s an endearing relationship and both of them give great performances.
This Time is a touching story of identity and family, it may struggle to find a style and tone to match its slightly eccentric story but instead creates something grounded and emotional. It’s led by two charming performances from Anwen O’Driscoll and Charles Martin Smith, who build an enjoyably rocky friendship. It feels as though it’s selling itself a little short, it could have dug deeper into the emotions and established a bigger, quirkier personality but it’s a sweet road trip film.
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