The Time Traveler's WifeAt points, “The Time Traveler’s Wife” sheds new light into the romantic drama genre. But at others, it just gets old and fails the test of time.

The film – based on the hit novel by Audrey Niffenegger of the same title – revolves around Henry DeTamble (played by Eric Bana), a Chicago librarian with “Chrono Displacement” disorder, a condition which allows him to randomly disappear into both the past and the future without warning (otherwise known as time traveling).  He tries to build a life with the woman of his dreams, a young artist named Clare Abshire (Rachel McAdams), but their relationship is tested when the couple is forced to part ways for long periods of time due to his condition.

We first meet Henry as a little kid who’s assured by an older version of himself, after going through a car accident that everything is going to “be okay.” Fast forward a few decades later and a 30 something Henry is greeted by Clare whose known him since the age of six – the problem is, he doesn’t have a clue who she is.

You see, for Henry it’s only years later when he first encounters Clare as a child while he’s in his 40’s and gets transported naked into the past. Apparently the clothes come off when you’ve time travelled, which seems like a cheep excuse to show Bana’s behind every 10 minutes, however, this detail is actually in the book and it gets his character into loads of trouble throughout the story.

When they first meet, Clare trusts him and throws Henry a blanket to cover himself with. He continues to visit her throughout her childhood and their bond eventually grows from friendship to love as Claire gets older.

But most of the film takes place in “real time,” when their timelines converge “naturally.” Although Clare has been in love with Henry since she first met him as a little girl, she has to make him fall in love with her as an adult when Henry meets her for the first time at the library (and when you have someone like McAdams playing Clare, that isn’t hard to do).

What’s hard to deal with is the constant instability and the fact that Clare can never rely on Henry as he can involuntarily disappear just like that. Her hubby isn’t always there for her during New Year’s or other significant dates because he can suddenly poof (with no date of return). This understandably becomes the main source of conflict throughout the film. Unfortunately, it becomes old by the second half hour.

But I will say that when it comes to romance, “The Time Traveler’s Wife” is quite original. While most films have supporting characters who give the main couple a run for their money, in this one, Henry’s main competition is himself.

“I’m competing against myself,” Henry tells Clare. Because she originally met an older Henry, he feels that he’s somehow competing with himself which is quite entertaining. What’s also unique about this film, of course, is the time traveling, but most importantly, fusing science fiction with romance.

The meetings between Henry and the six-year-old Clare are incredibly engaging and the fact that the two aren’t always at the same point in their lives keeps the movie somewhat fresh.

That being said, there are plenty of supporting characters in this film that could have helped keep it fresh, like Henry’s mom, his dad, Clare’s best friend Charisse and Henry’s doctor. But some of them become nothing more than props in this movie. It would have been interesting to develop those characters to add some more depth to the film.

“The Time Traveler’s Wife” is also somewhat jumpy as a movie (which makes sense, after all, the main character can’t control his apparitions) but this makes it nonetheless confusing at times.

So what makes it worth seeing? Rachel McAdams, who’s more than proven she can carry a romantic drama with movies like “The Notebook,” is a driving force in this film, as is Bana. Those who read the book may want to decide for themselves if “The Time Traveler’s wife” is worth the travel to the theatres.

3halfstars






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