Quirkily droll with a dark tinged twist, Devon Avery’s short film One-Minute Time Machine (2014), is an honest, sci-fi infused romantic comedy revolving around the difficulties of making that first emotional connection. . . setting in motion that much desired first date.
Written by Sean Crouch (a scribe on television series like Numb3rs and The 100), he sets this unusual scene in the most simple and romantic of places. . . a bench backed by a sunlit, lush green park. Sitting there (minding her own business) is Regina (Erinn Hayes), a woman who immediately catches the eye of someone walking by, James (Brian Dietzen).
About as slick as a dehydrated apricot (after all, in his first introduction, he calls himself Lames instead of James – the joke writes itself), he does have one thing going for him. . . he has secretly developed the first time machine. Perhaps not too shocking that a man would use this impressive invention to try to pick up a date, each failed attempt leads to a prompt use of the red button – turning back time a single minute.
Slowly making headway with Regina, he soon learns that her passion is in many ways bonded to his. . . she has a doctorate in quantum mechanics. As he continues to reboot the conversation every time he makes the slightest mistake, he soon learns something quite startling from the scientific woman. What could this unexpected discovery be? Ignoring that (it that is even possible), could this be the start of something truly beautiful. . . or might James have been better off spending his time developing some sort Ex Machina-like A.I. that could have given him a slightly better chance at getting lucky?
Pairing two fantastic characters together, it is amazing how fleshed out they are for this being just a six minute short. Dietzen’s James has an infectious, almost boyish energy, what could almost be deemed a Paul Rudd aura. He is charming yet awkward, a grown man trapped in an un-aging body. Playing off of him with equal zest is Hayes, her Regina a more mature presence. . . a woman most definitely knowing what she wants, but like her counterpart, not the best at getting it. She too is not experienced at playing the game of love. Whether this is an old-fashioned sly comedic jab at those in the sciences being socially uncomfortable is up to you to decide.
A clever concept executed to a very high degree, One-Minute Time Machine is where sci-fi meets romantic comedy – a surprisingly infectious pairing. Featuring a fantastic script, stellar performances, a playful score from Jamie Harper, more than competent direction (every shot telling the story while giving the actors the room to thrive in this one location shoot), and everything in between, it is well worth checking out. So, turn back time and see this 2014 short – you should be dead set on watching it.
One-Minute Time Machine can easily be found online by doing a quick Google or Youtube search