Concept movies don’t always work. When you base a whole movie around a filmmaking technique, sometimes the story gets lost, convoluted or just plain dumb. Not so with Bob Gebert’s 11 Minutes Ago. The whole film was shot in eight eleven minute takes in one day. If that isn’t a pretty good trick on its own, the movie deals with one of the easiest ideas to screw up: time-travel.

Our main character is a Time Tumbler named Pack (Ian Michaels) who has come to our time to get a sample of our air in order to fix the air forty-eight years in the future. His time tumbling technique only allows him to remain in the past for eleven minutes at a time, or else he cannot return to the future. When he first arrives in our time, he is surprised to find himself at a wedding reception, and everyone there already knows who he is!

The film is shot mostly from the point of view of the camera man, Jeffrey (Bob Gebert) who is hired to film the reception. When Pack tumbles into the party for the first time, it is the end of the party, and the camera crew already knows who he is, and what he’s been doing. Pack is a bit bewildered as to how, after all, once he collects his sample, why would he come back? With only eleven minutes of time, he does not try to figure out why, he only is interested in his sample…until Cynthia crosses his path.

Cynthia (Christina Mauro) saunters up to our tumbler, plants a big kiss on him and says that the answer to his question is ‘yes’. Dumbfounded, Pack looks to the camera crew for insight as to why this beguiling stranger is so into him, and they only respond with knowing glances and a “you’ll see”. Not understanding what is happening, or why he would have to come back, Pack collects his sample and tumbles back to his own time.

The rest of the story unfolds just as bizarrely, but cohesively. The tale is told chronologically from Pack’s point of view, meaning that the events of the wedding reception are out of order. This only adds to the intrigue of both Pack’s attempt to save the future (in which the air has become so toxic that it has ruined the human libido!) and his growing love for Cynthia. The film focuses more on the latter story, as the writer profoundly, and without going to overboard, brings to light the ideas of true love, and living each moment to its fullest.

11 Minutes Ago is a true Indy movie. It didn’t cost much to shoot, the plot is clean, well written and believable. The supporting cast should all be commended for doing such a great job in what was probably a crazy day of shooting. Taryn Reneau played the mean and radiant bride, Kelly and her hammered hubby Stephen was played by Jeremy Juuso; both as memorable and important as Pack and Cynthia.

I highly recommend this film to anyone who loves good romance, a funny story and creative story telling. 11 Minutes Ago delivers all of these things and more, holding the spirit of independent movie making high above its head. I hope Bob Gebert gets to show more of his inventive imagination in the near future.

--Jon Malbrough