2:22 : TIME ENOUGH

When watching and writing about movies there will always be the blockbuster titles that come along offering great movies. Then again some of those can be among the worst movies as well. The treat lies when you come across a movie you’ve never heard of, that got little if any release to theaters but that is one you can enjoy more than once. “2:22” is one of those movies.

Michiel Huisman stars as Dylan, an air traffic controller in New York and one of their best. Dylan is a man who sees patterns in all things, whose mind takes in all the pieces of an equation and predicts the outcome. Then the unthinkable happens.

One day at work Dylan sees the screens change and lighted constellations appear before them. A flash of light distracts him as his co-workers stare on, trying to alert him of an impending crash between two planes, one taking off and one landing. When the flash ends, Dylan is able to save the day and prevent the crash with a near miss. While he saved both planes, his behavior lands him with a suspension.

Things begin to happen that cause Dylan concern. His daily routine, while patterned out as he plans, goes beyond those plans. His daily routine is punctuated with seeing and hearing the same events from the time he wakes until the time he goes to bed. A drop of water, hearing a plane fly overheard, a near crash between a bicyclist and a car, a woman laughing, jackhammers, all falling into place at the same time each day. And each day culminates with him ending in Grand Central Station and seeing a woman about to be shot at 2:22.

In an attempt to shake off his thoughts he goes to an aerial ballet, a birthday gift from one of his friends. At the ballet he catches the eye of a young woman and eventually approaches her. Her name is Sarah (Teresa Palmer) and the two hit it off. As they talk he learns (we knew from seeing her earlier) that she was on one of the two planes he saved. As they become closer and attached to one another Dylan continues to see the images he’s been seeing.

Sarah works in an art gallery featuring the work of her ex-boyfriend Jonas (Sam Reid). At an exhibition she invites Dylan to Jonas reveals his latest work, a holographic display that winds its way to Grand Central Station. As Dylan watches he recognizes the images in this display that he’s been seeing the past few days. He flies into a rage and leaves, causing Sarah some concern.

The question becomes what these two things have in common. Why was this the location that Jonas used? Has he been seeing images as well? And why is Dylan reliving the same pattern of events day after day? Is it a warning? Or maybe a time loop that he continues to see from the past? More clues present themselves and Dylan begins to unravel what it is that is happening. But can he do so before the tragedy in his mind becomes reality?

To begin with the story here is complex and holds your interest from start to finish but not to the extent that it’s difficult to follow. Dylan’s visions and the story within are compelling for both Dylan and we as the viewer. The pieces are there to decipher but the pattern isn’t quite there for us to understand until near the end of the film. Some will figure out bits and pieces but the end result might surprise a few.

The acting here is wonderful. For me the best performances are those where I feel as if the actors are not performing but have become the characters they are playing. That happens with everyone in this film. Huisman, who had another great performance in THE AGE OF ADELINE, should be moving on to starring roles like this but in major blockbusters. Peters has landed roles in some high profile films like HACKSAW RIDGE and my guess is we’ll be seeing more of her as well.

The production value of this movie is so well done that it’s hard to believe this wasn’t a release from a mega-major film studio. The effects, the cinematography and more all work together to tell a story that will lure you in, hold you on the edge of your seat and leave you wanting more. To me that’s a movie worth watching and one that I’ll keep on the shelf ready to revisit on occasion.

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