THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE Movie Review

Over the weekend I went to see The Time Traveler’s Wife with a friend, who I would have never expected would want to see it. Turns out he had seen Rachel McAdams on ‘The Daily Show’ talk about the movie and it made him want to see it. The funny thing is, Rachel McAdams pretty much gave the movie away on that show, but even then my friend really enjoyed the movie. And so did I.

The Time Traveler’s Wife, which is based on the book of the same name by Audrey Niffenegger, tells the story of Henry (Eric Bana) and Clare (Rachel McAdams), how they fell in love and how they dealt with Henry’s unusual problem. You see, Henry is a time traveler, which means he spontaneously goes back and forth in time to places and times that are important in his life. It is during one of his “travels” that Clare first meets him when she is still a young girl. The interesting part is that Henry on the other side is in his forties and already knows that he will end up marrying her.

The story is very smart in the way it deals with the time traveling and tying Clare and Henry’s experiences together. You see interesting is that when Clare meets the “present” Henry, he doesn’t know her yet, but she already met the older version of him. Similarly, when Henry goes back to in time when Clare is only 18, he already knows what will happen to her in the future.

This actually leads to some funny scenes where an older version of Henry has to step in for an important event when the present Henry goes for one of his time travels. But you’ll have to watch the movie to find out exactly what happens.

Time traveling movies are always a little delicate to explain and sometimes even hard for the audience to keep track of, but The Time Traveler’s Wife is one of the rare exceptions. Every piece of the puzzle is revealed in its own time and you can’t wait to find out how it all ends.

Another important part of the movie is of course the cast. I found Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana very believable as soul mates dealing with some unconventional situations. I really loved the way Eric Bana was able to create subtleties between his younger and older self. It made the character that much more real.

Overall, I enjoyed The Time Traveler’s Wife very much. If you want to decide whether or not to see it, I would suggest watching the trailer, and if you enjoy that, then chances are you’ll really enjoy the movie. And for people who aren’t big romance fans, I think you might still enjoy the time traveling aspect of the movie. I definitely feel like I got my money’s worth on that one.

You can also read the The Time Traveler’s Wife‘s book review on Daemon’s Books.

___________________________________________________________

Title: The Time Traveler’s Wife
Director: Robert Schwentke
Cast: Rachel McAdams, Eric Bana, Ron Livingston
Synopsis: Based on the best-selling book about a love that transcends time. Clare has been in love with Henry her entire life. She believes they are destined to be together, even though she never knows when they will be separated: Henry is a time traveler–cursed with a rare genetic anomaly that causes him to live his life on a shifting timeline, skipping back and forth through his lifespan with no control. Despite the fact that Henry’s travels force them apart with no warning, Clare desperately tries to build a life with her one true love.
Release Date: August 14, 2009
Watch The Time Traveler’s Wife trailer.