does timer run?

I believe so.

If so, I presume skipping the cutscene with the backslash key will not increase the timer?So people going for an A rank should skip whenever possible, I guess.

I originally asked how to skip cutscenes on the Xbox. Then I read the manual. Sigh.So, instead, I have edited this post to ask how much time do the cutscenes consume in the game? Are there any metrics? Are there times when an experienced player would be advised to sit through the experience because game mechanics require the player to sit through the message? Thanks.