Love and Time Travel (Chronesthesia) (2016)

This review is sponsored by

BUY IT

General		Extras
Category	Comedy	Introduction-NZIFF Intro (1:24) Featurette-Vlogs from Hayden (81 min) Theatrical Trailer Trailer-x 4 for other Madman releases
Rating
Year Of Production	2016
Running Time	88:36
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	Hayden J. Weal
Studio Distributor	Madman Entertainment	Starring	Hayden J. Weal Michelle Ny Cohen Holloway Nova Waretini-Hewison Nick Blake Colleen Cleary Abby Damen
Case	Amaray-Transparent
RPI	?	Music	Conor Cameron

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s) English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	2.35:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	2.35:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English for the Hearing Impaired	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     Dan (Hayden J Weal) is a somewhat antisocial loner, jogging alone and working in a coffee shop but not connecting with the people around him. But then he starts having disjointed visions about people and events he knows nothing about and when he wakes up in his bedroom he finds short messages, such as “turn right” or “alleyway”, written on the inside of his window. In accordance with the messages he starts to vary his daily routine. He talks to Richard (Nick Blake), the elderly man at the bus stop, jogs a different path and meets Genevieve (Colleen Cleary), an elderly lady, in the park. In venturing down an alleyway he helps Summer (Nova Waretini-Hewison), a young school girl being bullied, and through Summer he meets her babysitter Sophia (Michelle Ny). Dan is instantly smitten, and Sophia is not adverse to his company although her friend Zach (Cohen Holloway) is hostile. As Dan builds his relationship with Sophia, and comes out of his isolation, there develops around Dan and the people he has met an intricate web of interrelationships that unites them all.

     This film is called Love and Time Travel on the DVD cover but throughout its filming and in the credits the film is called Chronesthesia, which the filmmakers define as “mental time travel” or, in more detail, “a mental ability enabling awareness of one’s own future” which is what the film is about although I guess the title was too obscure for the DVD release so it become the more romantic sounding Love and Time Travel. Under whatever name, this New Zealand film, shot in Wellington, is starring / written / directed / edited by Hayden J Weal, so it was obviously a project close to his heart.

     I am wary of filmmakers, especially independent filmmakers, who have control and make pet projects but I must say that Weal has delivered a gem of a film that almost defies categorisation. Love and Time Travel is clever, quirky, romantic, funny and sad, the acting by the entire cast natural and realistic; Weal and Michelle Ny are both very good but all the cast provide people we know and like, so we buy into what is happening on screen, despite the dislocating flashbacks. Filmed in widescreen around the shores of Wellington by DP / visual effects supervisor / part time actor Simeon Duncombe, the film also looks beautiful, the visuals being supported by the whimsical score by Conor Cameron.

     I really don’t want to say any more about the plot except that while it loops around on itself a number of times, and characters intersect, it is all done so well the film flows without fuss inextricably towards the climax, which resolves things, mostly. Chronesthesia is a surprise: a delightful, positive, endearing film from across the ditch that deserves an audience.

Video

     Chronesthesia is in the original 2.35:1 aspect ratio and is 16x9 enhanced.

     Some sequences are deliberately distorted, such as visions / flashbacks, but elsewhere this is a beautiful looking print with nice, natural colours highlighting Wellington’s beauty and the shoreline. Detail is firm, blacks and shadow detail are very good, skin tones sometimes a bit on the light side, contrast and brightness consistent except in the distorted scenes. Marks and artefacts were absent.

    The layer change was not noticeable on my equipment.

    English subtitles for the hearing impaired are available.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     The audio choices are English Dolby Digital 5.1 at 448 Kbps and English Dolby Digital 2.0 at 224 Kbps.

     Dialogue was occasionally unclear due to the delivery or accent when the subtitles helped. Effects in the surrounds and rears were not overdone but at appropriate times featured music, voices, the wind, thunder and waves. The surrounds were more active during the visions sequences with loud tonal effects representing the workings of the brain. The subwoofer supported the waves, music, thunder and the visions. The original score by Conor Cameron was whimsical and sometimes sad, thus suiting the film. There were good additional music by Barker.

     Lip synchronisation was fine.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

NZIFF Intro (1:24)

     Chronesthesia premiered at the 2016 New Zealand International Film Festival in Wellington. This is star / writer / director / editor Hayden J Weal’s promo for the film and the NZIFF.

Vlogs from Hayden

    These are video logs posted on Weal’s website during the filming and postproduction. Some are a bit self-indulgent and Weal does like baring his torso (and some other bits) but they are generally light hearted and provide a fantastic look into low budget independent filmmaking, especially the lengthy and involved post filming processes. There are over 80 minutes of vlogs; each has to be selected individually as there is no play all function. The contents of each are reasonably obvious from the titles.

• Behind the Scenes Intro (1:26)
• Filming Yoga, Colleen and Cuba Dupa (1:21)
• Filming Without a Permit (0:46)
• Nova is Wrapped! (0:42)
• Shooting on Location in Castlepoint (3:02)
• That’s a Wrap! (2:04)
• The HJW Editing Suite (1:03)
• Rough Cut Done (2:45)
• Relaxing While Others Work (3:27)
• Travelling for Meetings (4:24)
• Shooting Pickups (7:12)
• Locking off Reels (5:19)
• Meet the New Team Members (5:55)
• Picture Lock (4:23)
• Delivery Deadline Looming Part 1 (6:52)
• Delivery Deadline Looming Part 2 (6:34)
• Making Music with Barker (3:55)
• Censorship Screening (6:35)
• Making a DCP (8:27)
• Interviewed on National Television (3:15)
• Premiere Vlog (5:52)

Theatrical Trailer (1:37)

Madman Propaganda

     Trailers for Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2:36), Paterson (2:26), Swiss Army Man (1:52) and Three Wise Cousins (1:40).

     There does not appear to be another release of Chronesthesia / Love and Time Travel available at this time.

     First time writer / director / actor Hayden J Weal has delivered something quite special in Love and Time Travel / Chronesthesia, a film that almost defies categorisation; a film about relationships, love, loss, friendships, sex and time travel that is funny, quirky and delightful. Definitely worth seeking out if you are interested in something quite different, but very entertaining.

     The video and audio are very good, the extras extensive and interesting.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall