jt in time Justin Timberlake Interview For Andrew Niccols ‘In Time’

Welcome to a world where time has become the ultimate currency. You stop aging at 25, but there’s a catch: you’re genetically-engineered to live only one more year, unless you can buy your way out of it. The rich “earn” decades at a time (remaining at age 25), becoming essentially immortal, while the rest beg, borrow or steal enough hours to make it through the day. When Will Silas (Justin Timberlake), a man from the wrong side of the tracks is falsely accused of murder, he is forced to go on the run with a beautiful hostage (Amanda Seyfried).

Rich with bravado and courage, but poor with time, Will Silas is constantly in motion, running, searching, and working for every minute and second he can scrape up. After Will helplessly watches a family member’s clock tick down to zero (and a sudden death), he embarks on a journey that will forever change him, his beautiful accomplice and the world around them. Written and directed by Andrew Niccol (Gattaca, Lord Of War), ‘In Time’ also stars Cillian Murphy, Olivia Wilde, Alex Pettyfer, Johny Galecki, Matt Bomer, and Vincent Kartheiser. The film hits cinemas October 28th in the US, and November 1st in the UK.

How would you describe ‘In Time’ and what it has to say about society?

Justin Timberlake: When I first read the script, I got caught up, obviously, in the characters. I sort of love Will’s, my character, Will’s story and how he, through extenuating circumstances, sort of ends up with Amanda Seyfried’s character, Sylvia. I think Andrew has an uncanny ability to take a subject matter like what we have and create a huge thrill ride out of it, a huge roller coaster ride out of it. And, at the same time, kind of say that this might be a reflection of somewhere where we may or may not be right now, or headed very soon.

I enjoyed the look of the film and how it contrasts in different areas….

Justin Timberlake: Yeah, I love the juxtaposition that the ghetto is the colourful place. There’s colour splashing everywhere, people are alive, people are moving – because they have to be. And then when you get to New Greenwich it’s monochromatic, everything’s mundane, everything moves slowly because everyone’s afraid, they’re afraid to trust anyone, they’re afraid that they’re going to have their “time” stolen.

How challenging was this film, as your first true lead role?

Justin Timberlake: Oh yeah, I look at this movie as my first real lead in a movie. ‘Friends with Benefits’ is a two-hander. With this one, you wake up with my character and I’ll be one of the last faces you’ll see. It was not only physically demanding, but just mentally, a new stone to turn for me. But it was very exciting. I was probably the most excited person on set every day because I love this story and I love this character. I love the idea of an ordinary man, an ordinary person, being shoved into extenuating circumstances and actually doing something through his ordinary way that is extraordinary. So, that was what was really attractive to me about this character. It doesn’t hurt when you have someone as hot as Amanda Seyfried to be in the movie.

What was it like doing all the action?

Justin Timberlake: I particularly love the action in this film. I grew up loving ‘Lethal Weapon’ and ‘First Blood.’ They were action movies that were performance-based and felt more real. When it comes from the character and situation that they’re in, I just feel like I’m with them a lot more because I want to see how they’re going to handle the situation they’re in. I don’t necessarily need to feel like I’m watching $200 million being spent on it. I want to know how it relates to the character. And to me, the good ones really do that.

How was it for you having people roughly your own age cast as your Mother, or characters substantially older than you?

Justin Timberlake: I would have not wanted to be the casting director on this film, I can imagine it would have been hard to cast everyone at the same age. You have people who play characters that are over a hundred years old, but in reality we’re all the same age. Olivia Wilde plays my Mother, but she’s three years younger than me in reality – that made me feel really old (laughs). I enjoyed that, it was a bit weird.

The stakes are really high in this film….

Justin Timberlake: Yeah. Imagine if you knew that you only had a day to live, but there was a way you could live another day. And how high are those stakes, imagine that you had to steal for that money, or even kill for that money – just to survive. That’s what “time” sort of symbolises in this film, money, which to so many people in this world is life or death.

In the film “time” has created a mundane meticulously boring lifestyle. People are walking around with bodyguard’s, paying bodyguard’s with “time” because they’re afraid people are going to mug them for “time,” just on the street. Everything moves slow, everything is careful, you can’t trust anyone – because you have so much to lose.