The basic plot of THE INFINITE MAN centers around an anniversary weekend that goes terribly wrong, as over-prepared Dean, a scientist, tries to bring his girlfriend Lana back to the hotel they spent the previous anniversary at, only to find it closed and abandoned. To make matters worse, Lana’s ex boyfriend Terry, an Olympic javelin thrower, shows up and takes Lana away. Dean’s unorthodox solution, building a time machine and sending himself back to this exact moment, seems to work until he and Lana get swapped for the original Dean and Lana and end up in the wrong time line. How do you fix that? Go back again, of course. With each attempt to ‘fix’ the weekend, Dean only adds another layer of mess and confusion, providing a perfect metaphor to a relationship.
THE INFINITE MAN had its premiere at SXSW in March where it may have been overshadowed a bit by PREDESTINATION, starring Ethan Hawke (another Australian time travel film). But whereas that film really gets bogged down in its own paradoxes, this film is so extraordinarily simple that there is space for all the time-travel mumbo jumbo that has to fill your head as you watch. The motives are very clear, and they keep explaining what they are doing, so you aren’t lost… at least for what they are trying to do. Of course, they are often wrong and end up just as lost as we are. And what makes THE INFINITE MAN truly special is it is not about any of that. It’s a love story, and one that if you are not careful, will really touch you.
THE INFINITE MAN opens theatrically May 23rd, making its NYC premiere as part of Rooftop Films’ Summer Series.