MovieChat Forums > Time Lapse (2015) Discussion > Time travel movie done right

Time travel movie done right

posted 7 years ago by Apis (1624)
16 replies | jump to latest

This seems to be one of those rare movies that haven't made any mistakes regarding time travel. I tried to fault it, but I couldn't. Everything seems in order.

"Time travel" may not be the right expression, since nobody is traveling in time. Main characters found a machine that takes pictures 24 hours in advance and are playing with it. At first they think they are in control, but as the story progresses, it's becoming clear that machine is the one in control. They become prisoners of those same pictures they tried to take advantage of.

The only flaw in the movie is typical for B movies like this one. Main characters make some stupid decisions which contribute to their problems. But as far as time travel is concerned, this movie got it right.

[–] HAL 9010 (906) 7 years ago

No not at all. Has two huge fundamental flaws or mistakes, imo.

The first big mistake: The photos shows us the future. The future is set. All photos we see, occur exactly as they show.

But in the end we learn that the girl had used the present to send information back in time to her younger self in order to act and help improve the situation. In other words, the future is not set.

Those two contradict each other. And so this constitutes a flaw, or rather a plot hole.

Is the future fixed or is it dynamic? Cannot be both.

Only explanation I have is that she is crazy and thinks she changes stuff, when in fact she does not.... however, since her play (as we learn in the end) went over a long time... this is likely not the case. If so, beside crazy she would have to be stupid. Hardly the movie makers intention.

The other mistake: IF a present self can send information back to improve this same present, then the timeline should loop instantly (or change magically) when the information is sent... in other words; their timeline would collapse when a photo with intended information is taken... and it does not (because clearly their lives continue unaffected), it means the future continues unhindered by this message... perhaps an impact in another timeline, but not in the one they are in... and so makes this sort of time travel meanigless. Only way out of this plot hole is to say that the reason the timeline is not collapsing is because there are multiple timelines, aka multiple futures. Indeed this is correct and it will solve this flaw, however then why send information back at all? Makes zero influence on you the sender' future or present... the point is that the movie should instantly collapse every time they send information to their past... it does not.

Since their timeline does not collapse... either we are back to the first mistake of a unchanging future (which the movie contradicts by the girls actions) and in such case the timeline should not collapse as everything is happening exactly as foretold... or it is a changing future and so there must be multiple timelines as it shows us no collapsing... that though makes the whole tale near meaningless. Hardly the movie makers intention.

In short; no, this one did NOT do it right.

[–] sleepingtiger (712) 7 years ago

Hal:
Despite the flaws you claim this film has, I still liked it because it was apparent that the writer of the film had put some real thought into it,along withe three interesting characters characters you could root for, and an interesting perspective on the well-worn theme of time travel. Still worth checking out,though, for what happens why they discover the camera,to how the use of it eventually takes a toll on their relationships. Good acting,too.

[–] HAL 9010 (906) 7 years ago

Agree. It was good fun and I surely enjoyed it too. My post above is just a reaction to the OP. However enjoyable it was, it too has flaws or paradoxes as many (if not most) time travel movies seem have. So the OP is wrong on that aspect. But certainly not on the aspect of it being a good and interesting movie :)

[–] ExTechOp (2770) 7 years ago

Sorry Hal but I have to disagree. The future is fixed as far as the film shows. Callie THINKS she can change things, but turns out to be wrong.

It's true that she's been sending herself messages from the future, but she got the first message from a photo on the professor's wall. In other words, she's been a slave to her own predetermined messages from the start of the film.

She thinks, as you seem to think, as most reasonable people would think in this situation, that she's exercising free will in "the future" since (A) things are working out for her and (B) she FEELS like she's got free will (as we all do).

Until her final message falls off the window, we don't know for sure whether the future's fixed. But it does, and her one attempt to purposely "change the past" fails.

[–] HAL 9010 (906) 7 years ago

Oh my. That is brilliant. You are right, she is under the illusion of free will and sends info back to her self in a future she is supposed to send this info back... and the final picture is the picture that initiated it all, and so impossible to change or even create as she falsely believed she could.

In my defense I did explain this paradox like this in my first comment as she then must be stupid if this was the explanation - but she is not necessarily stupid because of course she does not get any feedback at all, except those day photos which it turns out was predetermined, and she misunderstand them as cause to her future effect... no way she could ever really know... or rather she would only ever really know by trying to change a picture. And she tried this in the end... or she would know by the fact that her history did not collapse and so he note does not change anything for her.

I digress. This point has surpassed me as valid. Guess I underestimated the storyteller. Thank you. This brings a great horror aspect into the story. The OP is right.

[–] ExTechOp (2770) 7 years ago

Like I said, though, your interpretation is REASONABLE for someone in their situation.

And like YOU said, it's not until the ending that the horror sets in, as we realize that they've all been slaves to the machine all along.

In this movie's universe, there's no free will, only the illusion of free will. For all we know, the same could be true of our universe. Scary stuff.

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

they let themselves become slaves to the machine. they maintained their free will

[–] HAL 9010 (906) 7 years ago

How so ?

The final picture proved beyond reasonable doubt that the future, present and past are set. Ergo free will is not real.

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

the final picture wasn't clear

[–] HAL 9010 (906) 7 years ago

I am not sure if I follow? The final picture is exactly like the "first" picture that made the professor freak out - despite her attempt to change it. Imo this is told this way precisely to show us all that is was predetermined all the time.

[–] [deleted] 7 years ago

the machine spits out a picture as the movie was ending but its not clear

[–] HAL 9010 (906) 7 years ago

I see what you mean. My take is that since it is a Polaroid it takes time to materialize... all polaroids are unclear at first. And so nothing odd or overly clever by this frame.... so in my view, just a clever end that sort of shows us these three kids was nothing but extras in the story of life that continues as meant.

[–] acidraindrop (3055) 3 years ago

Bingo. The ending reveal in that final minute is absolutely chilling and confirms exactly what approach this film is making in regards to time travel. Not many films pull off an internally consistent approach to time travel.

[–] HAL 9010 (906) 3 years ago

Agreed. I suspect it is the only one where it works 100%?

Edit: 12 monkeys too, what else?

[–] acidraindrop (3055) 3 years ago

Honestly, 12 Monkeys is the only one that usually comes to mind for me (until I saw this film so now I mention this one too).

(Primer probably works too but you need a strategy guide while watching lol.)

[–] MrFriscus (4) 2 years ago

My issues with the film heavily revolve around how characters react to situations what characters are capable of.

1. Let me start with the obvious, there is simply NO way that Finn would sit there so calmly confiding with Jasper after Finn had seen the photo of Jasper railing his girlfriend, who he wanted to marry, as she rode him hard. Finn's introspection should have been not to Jasper, and he should have absolutely rejected him.

2. While I understand Jasper's reaction to his threats with his betting authorities, he quickly turned into some horrid monster way to quick and way to abruptly. It felt rushed.

3. In the same way, while I understand the attempt for us to not suspect Callie, I felt like her actions overall didn't make sense for how her character was portrayed. I know it was meant as the big swerve, but I don't think it was done well.

4. Before you write me off as some snooty movie watcher, I've re-watched this movie a few times because I LOVE the concept as a fan of hard sci-fi. It's such a cool concept, but it was dragged down by unrealistic decisions by the characters in play and I'll admit overall poor acting by Jasper and Callie. I'm no theater expert, but I could tell this was a B movie by the acting, not by the presentation.