TiMER has an intriguing premise that is not as sci-fi as it may initially appear. With okcupid match percentages and other forms of rating and quantifying romance, are we really that far off from our own transdermal love timers? Some reviewers criticized TiMER's plot holes and unconvincing character development, particularly in light of the unexpected and unsatisfactory ending. But really, what kind of ending did you expect? For a film that critiques the impact of technology on human agency --which extends to larger discourses regarding fate and predestination -- I found the ending to be appropriately bleak. It seems to be that Oona and Dan are trying to convince themselves that the timer is accurate...trying to reason their way into falling in love because the odds are on their side.(And by the way, I do not buy Oona's "independent woman" routine of superficial empowerment at all). If we see the ending as Oona and Dan's way of slowly fulfilling the timer's prophecy, then paradoxically they are using their new-found agency (i.e. ignoring the timer) to get closer to each other --whether by coincidence or "fate." This might be intended to make viewers question the other timer matches in the film; is love just something that you fall into because a higher power --in this case, biotechnology -- compels you to? This puts into question other ordinances of predestination and our compulsion (whether it's peer pressure, a desire for a higher purpose, etc) to put blind faith into them. TiMER is not a cinematic masterpiece, nor is it striving to be. Regardless, it really made me reflect on notions of human agency, biotechnology, fate and predestination the way any impactful film should.
Review of Timer
