Now is the time: movie reviews, plot, actors and their roles

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

In our time, cinema is very developed. Movies no longer cause the same enthusiasm that a hundred years ago, simply because there are so many of them. And sometimes it is difficult to choose a really worthwhile film, on which it is not a pity to spend a few such valuable hours. Let's analyze the drama "Now is the time."

A little about the picture

The drama "Now is the time", reviews of which are different, was created by French and British filmmakers. The picture was shot by Oliver Parker, and it was presented to the audience on August 31, 2012. The film lasts only 103 minutes, but the whole time the picture keeps in suspense. She even developed a slogan: “Dream, live, love.”

By the way, in the reviews of "Now is the time" people often note the talented musical accompaniment of the picture. Music composed by composer Dustin O'Halloran.

The film has age restrictions: you can watch it from the age of sixteen. By the way, the picture is based on the book While I'm Alive by writer Jenny Downham.

Reviews about "Now is the Time" are mostly positive. This is what happens inincluding an experienced cast. Cast: Dakota Fanning, Jeremy Irvine, Joe Cole, Paddy Considine, Julia Ford and more.

The film was shot in the summer of 2011 in the UK: in London, Brighton and Buckinghamshire. The tape was dubbed in English, and then translated into all the others.

In our country, the film rental was provided by the Premium Film company.

Since the reviews of "Now is the Time" are very good, let's consider the plot of the film.

What is the tape about?

The girl Tessa fell ill with leukemia and is trying to live with it, looking for new landmarks. She makes a list of desires, among which are skydiving, drugs, sex. But not all plans are destined to come true, because the girl meets Adam. Thanks to him, Tessa completely reconsiders her attitude.

Intriguing, isn't it? And what is the cast of the movie “Now is the time”…

Who's filming?

The picture has become so popular largely due to the cast. The film was played by professionals who were able to accurately convey the director's idea. These people deserve to talk about each of the actors of the film "Now is the time" separately.

Dakota Fanning

Dakota Fanning plays the main character Tessa. Let's talk a little about the actress herself. She is a native of Conyers (American town). Dakota already has about 115 works in various films, many of them very successful.

Fanning was born on February 23, 1994. Despite her young age, she is alreadyShe managed to star in such famous TV shows as Friends, Justice League, ER. There are no less roles in full-length films, for example, "I am Sam", "The Secret Life of Bees", "Anger", "Dreamer".

Last year was a landmark year for the actress, because she was among the contenders for the Saturn Award for working in the Alienist project.

Jeremy Irvine

This actor also played a major role - he was Tessa's chosen one, Adam. Jeremy was born in 1990, June 18th. The actor has about 37 roles in films and on television. Irvine is a native of the British town of Cambridgeshire.

Jeremy has appeared in many well-known projects, including Genius and Madness, Billionaires Club, Fantastic Love and Where to Find It, War Horse. By the way, Jeremy played a major role in the last one.

Paddy Considine

You probably already noticed that the main cast is young people. Paddy is off this list, and this is not surprising, because in "Now is the time" he plays the father of a sick girl.

The actor was born in 1974, September 5th. The man lived all his childhood in the village of Burton upon Trent. During his career, he managed to star in more than fifty films.

Paddy appeared in the feature films "Pride", "The Bourne Ultimatum", "Knockdown", "Peaky Blinders", "Submarine". In 2012, the actor won in the nomination "Best Debut Screenwriter, Producer or Director". The writer and actor is happily married to Shelley Considine and has three children.

Olivia Williams

Now is the time - paintingnot only about the sick girl, but also about the relationship of her parents. The role of Tessa's mother was played by Olivia. The actress herself was born on July 26, 1968. During her career, Williams managed to play about 78 roles in both film and television. Olivia was born in London.

Her work can be seen in big projects like "Friends", "The Sixth Sense", "Education of the Senses", "Doll's House".

Olivia is married to Rashan Stone and has two children.

Interesting facts

Do you remember any interesting moments from the filming of Now Is the Time in 2012? If not, then you've definitely come to the right place. We will tell you the most interesting facts that may make you look at the picture in a new way:

1. Naomi Watts was selected for the role of the girl's mother, but due to certain circumstances she was played by Olivia Williams. We want to note that this actress not only added zest, but also singled out a supporting role among others.
2. In the book on which the 2012 movie "Now is the Time" was filmed, the heroine was the owner of brown hair, but Dakota flatly refused to repaint during filming, and she was allowed to remain blonde.
3. Irwin was approached to play the role of Pete Mellark in The Hunger Games, but turned it down as the film was filming at that time.
4. The motorcycle scene was filmed early in the morning and turned into a night scene after special effects were added.

Despite the penetrating mood of the drama, reviews of the film "Now is the time"very contradictory. Why so? Let's take a closer look at the film.

Dive in

Tessa, a girl with blood cancer, understands perfectly well that you won’t live long with such a disease. But instead of feeling sorry for herself and becoming discouraged, she decides to make her dreams come true. Little by little, all dreams come true, but suddenly comes the realization that it is not so important and pleasant. Is the plot familiar? As a rule, this is how, well, or almost like this, many romantic English comedies begin. But not this time…

The picture was supplemented with some circumstances that undoubtedly improved it. All of the dialogue in the film makes sense. Directors from other countries very often sin with flowery phrases that do not make sense. Of course, the way the information was presented only helped to appreciate the picture.

As for the style of the tape, everything is present here - from irony to realism. What can I say, it's immediately obvious - made in England.

Drama or comedy?

If you have read the description of the film and have already prepared a bunch of paper handkerchiefs, then we are in a hurry to disappoint you. Although the tape is positioned as a drama, nevertheless, the film does not demonstrate hopelessness, and therefore you do not have to shed tears all the time. There are many humorous moments in the film, which, as it were, hint at the fact that life does not end, and even with such a diagnosis, you can have fun.

Judging by the reviews of the film "Now is the time" 2012, then all viewers note the pleasant aftertaste left over frompaintings. There is no feeling of inevitability or hopelessness, everything is so easy and bright that you want to love life even more and enjoy every second.

The jokes in the picture are special. Unlike many American films, you want to laugh at them, they are so sparkling. Even the ending is accompanied by jokes, although, it would seem, not the best moment.

Female Friendship

Now Is the Time 2012 shows that women's friendship does exist. And we are not talking about joint gatherings for a party or discussing guys, but about support, compassion and cheerfulness. The girl, who played the role of the best friend, very organically fit into the picture and, of course, embellished it. The real name of the actress is Kaya Scodelario, and we have no doubt that we will hear this name more than once.

Realistic

The picture is quite realistic, which distinguishes it from similar American-made films. The main character does not suit a short haircut, and this also refers to reality. After all, after chemotherapy, patients are forced to cut their hair short, there is no time for beauty.

Usually, in American films, all the heroines die, if not happy, then at least beautiful, but in life this rarely happens.

Adam also destroys all stereotypes, he does not look like a brutal handsome man, but is an ordinary guy. The film did not turn into another fairy tale, for which the directors can be thanked. Adam is a teenager like Tessa, they have youthful feelings. At the same time, the guy has his own fears and phobias, for example, he is afraid of the sight of blood, which makes the viewer even morefeel the movie.

The role of the father is also written quite realistically. In the picture, he appears to the audience as a boring person who cannot control himself and only shows pity for his daughter.

The creators of the film "Now is the time" in Russian translated the phrase perfectly and described the mother of the heroine. This woman hasn't spoken to Tessa's father for a long time and can't stand hospitals.

Miracles happen

Typically, films like "Now is the Time" cause a painful feeling after watching. This tape is devoid of hopelessness.

While watching, the audience is more and more imbued with the characters, and Tessa no longer looks tortured and pathetic, but remains in memory as a dear and sweet heroine.

Adam is also quickly likable. At first, the hero seems too soft-bodied and in some ways even a child, but now he repairs a motorcycle with his own hands only in order to take the girl from the hospital.

The initial coldness of parents also eventually gives way to emotionality and vulnerability. It turns out that they are, in general, not bad people who were overtaken by grief.

The scriptwriters were able to show that life is valuable in all its manifestations and in any, it would seem, the most tragic period.

About the book

We have already said above that the movie "Now is the Time" was filmed based on the book. Jenny Downham is the author of a bestseller that was sold all over the world, including in Russia. The writer played in the amateur theater in London for a very long time. And the moment came when the woman decided to writea book that instantly became popular.

The book is so famous that it was even translated into Russian, although not every work of foreigners reaches the Russian reader. Basically, the book was written for teenagers, because Tessa, like teenagers, indulges in all serious things in the face of death. This is how almost all teenagers behave, only unlike the heroine consciously.

A serious illness adds to the sentimentality of the book, which can be seen in the plot "Now is the time."

Jenny wanted to interest readers in every way, and therefore did not disdain any tricks. There are quite a lot of erotic scenes in the book, which, of course, attract teenagers. By the way, they are described very colorfully.

Is erotica appropriate?

According to the plot of the film "Now is the time", the heroine met not only her love, but also learned to overcome difficulties while fighting the disease. So how appropriate are erotic descriptions in a teen drama? We cannot judge this, but we can say that there are many more such moments in the book. It is understandable, because Downham wanted to win the attention of the younger generation. Critics even called the book a tabloid work, which, however, did not affect its popularity in any way.

In addition to erotic scenes, the book contains many other juicy details of the life of teenagers. For example, petty theft, impressions of taking drugs, quarrels with parents, dating the opposite sex. In a word, everything that is characteristic of a teenage rebellious spirit. There are many medical details in the work.

One language

Why do writers not always gain popularity after a work is published? The reason is simple: the author and readers speak different languages. Jenny was able to avoid this mistake and so the book became a bestseller.

The work is written in teenage slang, it has a lot of aggression, a small vocabulary. In addition, the author was able to quite accurately show all the moments that infuriate teenagers.

And despite the unflattering reviews from critics, the book is gaining more and more popularity because teens understand what it is about.

Backstory

After the news about the film adaptation of the story spread, even critics found this idea productive. This is because the entire plot of “Now is the Time” could explode as a bright star in the sky of cinema. The story is tragic enough for the audience to get into it.

It was not for nothing that the main roles were taken by actors who were already considered professionals at that time. Both Dakota and Jeremy managed to appear in famous films. It is interesting that the bet was made mainly on Dakota, because she had already played in Twilight, which means that young people already knew her.

It is also interesting that both actors got their most famous roles from Spielberg.

A little about the creator

We talked about the main characters of "Now is the time", which means that it's time to talk about the creator of the film. Who is Oliver Parker? An English director who at that time had just started working in this field. The film "Now is the time" was the second work of Parker. Was she successful?

It's worth noting that Oliver's goal is to make a film that everyone will enjoy, and more importantly, it will pass age restrictions, and therefore teenagers will also be able to watch it. For this reason, the director smoothed out many of the juicy moments of the book, or even cut it out altogether.

The tape was remembered for love romance, not hard pornographic scenes. This is thanks to Oliver. The audience did not see frank eroticism, the scriptwriters only hinted at it with the phrases “the lights go out.”

All the revelations of the book, such as: dirty rooms, illegal hospitals, noisy parties and rude peers, other gloomy places Parker smoothed out, thereby directing the viewer's attention to a romantic story.

The main character in the book constantly complains and describes her illnesses, but not so in the movie. Tessa looks very good even in those moments when the disease is already clearly winning. Of course, the picture immediately makes it clear that what is happening on the screen is quite far from reality, but nevertheless it was intended. The director deliberately decided to replace tragedy and hopelessness with sentimentality.

Let people who have really experienced this serious illness shrug their shoulders in disbelief, but Oliver achieved what he wanted: the film makes you want to live.

Critic Opinion

At the time the film was released, even critics were wary of voicing their opinion on Dakota's Oscar nomination. This is because the picture is clearlyaimed at teenagers.

But even critics did not argue about the mother of the main character. Olivia's portrayal of the role is so perfect it's breathtaking. In the book, the writer did not draw a portrait of her mother very well. Mostly the emphasis was on the past, when she ran away with her lover from her husband and daughter.

Olivia managed to show her mother's character in the present tense. It turned out that the character is afraid of everything - from responsibility to hospitals. The hysteria of the mother was conveyed very naturally, and besides, Olivia was able to ensure that the viewer even fell in love with the heroine in some way. According to the unanimous opinion of all critics, it is Williams who deserves an Oscar in the nomination "Best Supporting Actress".

Viewer Reviews

With professional critics, everything is clear. Let's find out what ordinary viewers think. Alas, opinions are divided here. Some viewers consider it a crime to deviate from the book, because teenagers who first read the work went to the film. Dakota's game was also not to everyone's liking. Many considered her not talented enough for the main role. Adam in the film also did not cause enthusiasm among some viewers. What can we say about dissatisfaction with emotions. People think that the film lacks exactly the tragedy that was in the books.

Other viewers, on the contrary, are delighted with the picture. They are attracted precisely by the vitality of the main character, the fact that she did not give up and even found the strength to fall in love. A great desire to live is what people note after watching, and many like it more than the dullness of the book.

Impossible for suretake the side of one or the other group to determine the impressions, it is better to watch the film yourself.

Conclusion

Today we talked about such a difficult film as "Now is the time." Of course, the story that is shown to the audience is actually scary. And only a person who is really strong in spirit and character will be able to get out of the situation the way the main character did. Even if the film is very different from the book, the main thing is that the director was able to convey his idea to the audience. Never give up, even if there seems to be no way out.

At first, Tessa set her priorities wrong, because the fulfillment of her desires did not bring her joy. But it was only necessary to overestimate what was happening, and love immediately appeared.

Let the end of the film cannot be called traditionally happy, but even without this, the picture teaches a lot. Sometimes not only teenagers, but also adults give in to serious problems, which are only aggravated by cowardice. It is important to find strength in yourself, enjoy life and the opportunity to breathe.

If the picture made you think about something and reevaluate your own views, then the director did everything right. And no matter what critics say, the drama really penetrated the hearts not through pity and tragedy, but through the desire to live and love.

In conclusion, I would like to say that you should not judge the film until you see it yourself.