The Infinite Man can’t resist some staples of comedy, but for it to work it needs to – and does – address the creepy and desperate behaviour of its protagonist. If anything, it lacks the courage of conviction to see it through, with a more profound statement possible instead of the halfway house ending it settles on. Genre conventions are difficult to shift, but at least it manages to present us with a convincing relationship and likeable oddballs. It would be nice if these people were happy, which is half the battle with a rom-com. The key to The Infinite Man is that Dean is simultaneously loveable and off-putting. He’s at once detached from Lana but wants to change that, but rather than simple gestures such as flowers, chocolate and listening, he tries overly complex inventions and effortlessly makes things worse. As multiple versions of the three characters start cropping up, Dean is either up or down depending on how he’s coping with another year in the same place. He tries to put what he learned in the last twelve months into practice, but the film’s structure is clever. Things develop and revolve around the same incident in different contexts and time-streams. Each attempt by Dean to make things right just makes things worse, and he learns how low he’s sunk in his desperation to claw Lana back. Incapable of spontaneity, or small gestures, Dean can suck the romance out of the moment by deconstructing things as he speaks. His girlfriend puts up with him, because he is endearing, but he’s also a hassle. This makes for an amusing relationship, as his lack of tact and tendency to make things worse for himself leads to some deadpan yet bizarre utterances. The only problem with Dean and Lana’s relationship is that you’re surprised she puts up with him for that long. In this respect, the film has its cake and eats it, trying to balance two different outcomes with moderate success. It might have been better sticking with one and suggesting the other. To pick a fault, The Infinite Man is still ultimately about a man being an immature dickhead, and coming to terms with it. While you can’t help but wonder why Lana sticks around, it does at least address that Dean’s behaviour is wrong, and that he needs to change. Fundamentally though, as well as this (depressingly revelatory, for the genre) message, it succeeds at the basics. As well as containing a clever use of time travel, The Infinite Man is a romantic comedy that remembers to include both. Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
