Dean (Josh McConville) is an anxious romantic, obsessed with reliving and preserving the perfect anniversary, forever. He drags Lana (Hannah Marshall) back to the desert to put his plan into action, but it all runs awry when Lana’s dreaded ex, Terry (Alex Dimitriades), arrives at the scene. Dean’s last recourse is to travel back in time, until he gets it right.
As you might have guessed, The Infinite Man is a fun film. Hugh Sullivan’s screenplay is audacious and sensationally clever at times, its continuity virtually flawless – a must for any film concerning time travel. However, while Sullivan nails the mechanics of the past, present and future, his characters are less convincing. Dean is a dweeby science nerd, fiercely preoccupied with the past. Best of luck describing Lana, though: you’ll be fumbling for words. You might settle upon ‘patient’, as dating Dean seems about as appealing as a parking fine. Incidentally, it’s never really clear why Dean and Lana are together. Their relationship is never fleshed out and made meaningful and, as a result, there’s no sense that theirs is a relationship worth fighting for.
Nevertheless, The Infinite Man is engrossing in its own unorthodox way. You can’t help but be intrigued by its twists and turns, as Dean needlessly complicates things for himself. It’s a joy to watch the character struggle through an ever-increasing number of unique problems. In spite of having very little to work with, McConville turns in a great performance, his anguish palpable whenever his dilemma suddenly mutates. Marshall provides everything she can with a poorly-developed character, while Dimitriades helps to inject the film with exquisite humor.
Overall, The Infinite Man is enjoyable and you’ll be hooked more and more with each plot complication. Its only real deficiency is its characters, who go disappointingly underdeveloped amidst all the quirky fun.
BY NICK MASON
