The Time Traveler's Wife

‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ is Genuine, but Loses Steam with Time

-----‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ is just as it says, a movie about the bride of a man who uncontrollably and randomly finds himself falling in and out of time. By the time they’re married it works out a bit easier, with him returning to a linear time line, but it certainly raises some questions about destiny and love.

-----Eric Bana, who costarred in two of the year’s best films, ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Funny People,’ plays the lead, a time traveler named Henry. He is good at capturing the occasional scene legitimately genuine in nature, and has a reasonable chemistry with costar Rachel McAdams, who plays Claire. Perhaps his greatest strength in the film is playing the older versions of himself, as he is merely adequate in his younger incarnation. One thing he can do, and what is arguably the film’s greatest strength, is to convey the “don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone” message. Costar Rachel McAdams is delightful as always, partly because she forms a believable relationship with Bana, and partly due to her classy smile. So sweet and innocent is McAdams throughout the course of the film that you can’t help but enjoy her. Relatively small supporting roles from Ron Livingston as a disbelieving friend and Stephen Tobolowsky as Bana’s Doctor provide some much needed light moments to an otherwise heavy film.

-----Written off as a genetic disorder and rarely examined, the point of ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ deals very little with the actual cause of Bana’s time traveling. As long as you’re willing to let that go, and just enjoy the movie for the unique take on love it is, there is a lot to like here. The ending seems inevitable from the start, and unfortunately may be the primary cause behind the film’s surprisingly forgettable final product. There is a gap here and there and certainly some questions as the time line gets scattered, but from a passive viewpoint the film has some interesting questions, many of which are pulled to the foreground of the story. These include the dilemma as to whether or not McAdams’ character ever had a choice. Bana travels back in time to meet her as a child when he is a grown man, so would she have fallen in love with him had she not befriended him at such a young and vulnerable age? It was her however, that first confronts Bana in their twenties, before he even knows who she is, telling him that he travels back to see her as a young girl and how they are destined for each other. So perhaps it was mutual, but the audience will never know for sure.

-----Technically, ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ is strong. One of the film’s superior attributes is its excellent cinematography throughout, and a musical score that avoids being typical romantic racket, and instead is somewhat intriguing. Bana disappearing isn’t too much of an effects leap, but is amply handled nonetheless. Otherwise the film remains solid, and also capably recreates a few different time periods, namely one during Bana’s early childhood. Another point to appreciate is the beautiful location that Bana meets young McAdams. For the most part, the makeup department does little in the way of aging them, with Bana’s only difference being a wig, or grey streaks in his hair. McAdams is bit more convincing, although with the exception of one scene where she is 18, she also changes very little. On the other hand, the young girl they cast as the child version of McAdams character has an uncanny likeness to the star.

-----Ultimately, I enjoyed ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ much more upon leaving the theater than in the days that followed. I originally found it an interesting and original take on love, but with time it proved to be rather forgettable, and nothing that I would like to see again. There is the occasional strong scene here and there, but the foreshadowing seems to take control of the film at times, until the inevitably dark ending becomes all too predictable and something that you long to see over and done with. The performances are consistently enjoyable, and it is always nice to see a genuine romance that is hardly today’s norm. Not to mention the time traveling keeping you on your toes more than many movies of a similar nature. I enjoyed it as a whole more than McAdams’ film, ‘The Notebook,’ but then I was one of the rare moviegoers who didn’t adore that production. All in all, the film presents itself as a one-time-see, and never tries to makeup ground in the way of being re-watchable for all but those who really love the movie and/or the source material it originated from. I could go and see it a second time, but it would be an unnecessary and partially exhaustive process. So despite some strong early scenes and my initial enjoyment of the film, I can only really recommend that you give this one a renting.

Official Trailer