"In Good Time"

8 October 2025

2 mins 10s

A fine romance.

When this excellent script for Uber came the way of director Michael Spiccia, he may immediately have had some idea of how he was going to put it on the screen. In expressing what he hoped to do, he may then have been able to convey that idea to those who wrote the script, but none of them, including Spiccia himself, could really have been certain that it would turn out as good as this.

Which is to say, this is very good indeed. The intimacy established by Spiccia and cinematographer Evan Prosofsky in the first few seconds is nothing short of astonishing. Then, using the same visual template, the ad takes us further and further into the relationship between the two protagonists, convincingly depicting the start of their romance, before capturing a seemingly fatal fissure... before providing us - and DAVID means 'us' because, by this stage, we are completely invested in these two - with a ray of hope that they will be reconciled.

That the fullness of this tale is told in a little over two minutes is a triumph of storytelling. An astounding tribute to the best directors’ ability to establish so much with so little.

And none of this is done at the expense of the advertising message. Sometimes, a brand is willing to stand aside and let the audience enjoy a beautiful film in the hope that it will reflect well on it, but, here, Uber is fully present throughout, and, discreetly, becomes part of the story.

Our only reservation is the super at the end informing us that "because there are love stories in your area... there are drivers in your area" is unnecessary, and sounds a bit off. But, other than that, this is perfect.

USA

Taxi Services