Vanessa Kirby is having a well-deserved moment in Hollywood right now. Kirby has been a part of the industry for almost two decades, but she had her breakthrough role as Princess Margaret in Peter Morgan’s historical drama Netflix series, The Crown. Her portrayal of a British Royal Family member was critically acclaimed and even won her a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2018. The role in The Crown earned her significant recognition and opened many doors in Hollywood.
Kirby even went on to receive a nomination for an Academy Award in 2021 due to her incredible performance as the main character, Martha, in Netflix’s 2020 melodrama Pieces of a Woman. She furthered her career by starring in major movie productions, but while Kirby is now known for taking on lead roles in highly anticipated movies or well-known franchises, she also started small. Even huge fans of Vanessa Kirby might not be aware that she played alongside Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson in the widely loved romance drama movie About Time, directed by Richard Curtis and released in 2013. About Time follows Tim Lake, who inherited the power to time travel from his father and uses it to pursue the woman of his dreams. While building a relationship with Mary is his ultimate goal, he learns a lot about what is truly important in life along the way.
Vanessa Kirby Can Pull off Anything
Universal Pictures
Vanessa Kirby only played a minor character in About Time, but she stood out through her already captivating acting skills. As Joanna, the best friend of one of the main characters, Mary, she added refreshing humor and excitement to the story. Mary, who comes across as tightly wound, benefits from Joanna’s outgoing and direct behavior in the weepy rom-com. Kirby perfectly conveys Joanna’s funny side, as she nails her straightforward comments. She’s the one who adds the comedy aspect to the movie, and she does it with impressive ease. Vanessa Kirby can pull off anything because she went from portraying this carefree character to more dramatic and even action-heavy roles with ease.
As already mentioned, Kirby, who possesses dramatic versatility, delivered an impressive performance as Margaret in The Crown and took on the lead role of Martha in Pieces of a Woman. Both roles earned her critical acclaim, but she also proved that she has even more in store than these emotionally challenging roles. Kirby joined the Fast & Furious franchise, which was recently added to Netflix, as Shaw’s fierce sister, Agent Hattie Shaw. She also appeared in the Mission Impossible franchise as the secondary antagonist, The White Widow, and is receiving a lot of praise for her mesmerizing portrayal of Sue Storm, or the Invisible Woman, in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Kirby, who is now officially a part of the MCU, will also reprise her role in Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027). Vanessa Kirby is truly busy and continues to impress, as even her neo-noir thriller Night Always Comes on Netflix is a big hit streaming success.
‘About Time’ Is a Must-Watch
About Time
Universal Pictures
If Vanessa Kirby’s presence in the movie isn’t already reason enough to watch About Time, then maybe its overall charm is. It can be difficult to implement sci-fi into a romance movie without leaning too heavily into it and losing the balance of genres. To some, the time travel might sound as though it doesn’t match the overall story, but Richard Curtis certainly knew where he was going with it. It adds to the complexity of Tim and Mary’s love story, similar to the time travel elements in Outlander and its prequel on Starz, but it never takes it too far. About Time found the perfect balance between the lofty supernatural and grounded reality.
Apart from the fact that About Time features an intriguing time-travel element, the heartfelt rom-com with the Avengers star is a masterpiece about all facets of life. It tackles themes of love (obviously), friendship, and family, but also explores the depths of life-changing events, grief, and the beauty in the little moments. Needless to say, there is something for everyone to relate to in the movie, and it’s done with attention to detail. The romance movie avoided participating in the competition of who can create the most action-packed, over-the-top drama, but instead, it highlights the complexity of relationships of any kind.
Most predominantly, About Time focuses on the father-son relationship between Tim and his dad as their ability to time travel allows them to view life from a unique and more profound point of view. It also meticulously looks at the ever-evolving romance between Tim and Mary, though, as they grow through shared hardships and realize what is important in life. About Time is a beautiful reminder to not get lost in the difficult sides of life, but instead, try to appreciate the little things and time together each day. About Time is available to rent on AppleTV+.
- Release Date
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September 4, 2013
- Runtime
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123 minutes