The mentally weary Hamilton has had enough of living, and longs for the solace of death. As thanks for his assistance, he donates his century to an unwitting, sleeping Salas, deeming him worthy of the gift due to his honourable and selfless conduct. Through a penchant for high-stakes gambling Salas ingratiates himself with super-rich tycoon Philippe Weis (Vincent Kartheiser – Angel’s Connor and Mad Men’s Pete Campbell, 32) and, more importantly, his glamourous daughter Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried, 25). What develops between Timberlake and Seyfried is a fairly standard and frequently cheese-laden romance, as the girl born with the silver spoon sees what it’s like on the other side of the fence: the epiphany that, in her comfortable bubble, she hasn’t actually lived a day in her life. There’s a daft car chase, some shootouts, an assortment of cardboard baddies, which are all perfectly serviceable, in a pleasant, vacantly entertaining kind of way. There are also plot holes the size of oil rigs, but in the context of the film itself they never detract too much. Tonally, In Time is actually closer to The Island than Gattaca, however superior (in every conceivable way) to Michael Bay’s film it may be. The film doesn’t rest too much on its central conceit of time as an exchangeable concept, never delving into precisely how this peculiar global arrangement came to pass, besides a throwaway epilogue voiceover referring to ‘genetic engineering.’ Never finding itself entrenched in syrupy pseudo-science allows it to have fun with its premise, peppering proceedings with asides about the physical similarities between generations, and in the fear that comes from an immortality that doesn’t protect from accident, disease or attack. Cillian Murphy does, however, play the sinister, single-minded persistence of Leon perfectly, and could probably do so in his sleep, while Seyfried has little to do but does it well enough. It is Kartheiser who seems to be having the most fun at the aristocratic Weis, relishing in the icy exterior disguising the internal decay of an old man gradually losing his grip on what he believes is rightfully his. And while the film is far from perfect, it contains within it enough ideas and action to make it a perfectly passable piece of popcorn entertainment. Don’t expect Oscar nods (and, crucially, don’t expect Gattaca), and what you’ll find is a solid and exciting – if a little silly – piece of sci-fi blockbuster entertainment. Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.