The Time Traveler’s Wife (Review/Trailer)

Written by Greg VictorcloseAuthor: Greg Victor Name: Greg Victor
Email: Greg@parcbench.com
Site:
About: Greg Victor (Parcbench Culture Editor) is a historian, pop culture critic, and theatrical dramaturg and has stage managed theatrical productions on Broadway and on tour, including Billy Joel's "Movin' Out", Monty Python's "Spamalot" and more.See Authors Posts (98) on August 31, 2009

“The Time Traveler’s Wife” gets away with a lot of flawed logic because it exists in a mixture of times; past, present, and future. Because of this, the entire film lacks focus. Even though the film tries to tell its story in a new way, most of it felt old and stale. In a summer where so many entertainment choices offer a look at the inner life of the vampire community, the predicament of a woman who loves a man who cannot commit to being there 24/7 feels very familiar. If you don’t make it to your local cineplex to catch it, rest assured you can see it on the small screen soon. ABC-TV has announced that it will become a weekly series.

It is a movie about a woman named Claire (Rachel McAdams) who loves a man named Henry (Eric Bana) who she can never truly have. He has a genetic abnormality that causes him to appear and disappear without reason. The trouble with the stop-and-start aspect to the relationship is that it has the same effect on the film in general. The interruptions in the story limit the dramatic tension.

Based on the best-selling 2003 novel by Audrey Niffenegger, the movie is adapted by Bruce Joel Rubin (who wrote “Ghost”). The tone throughout is torturously romantic, but there are moments when the emotional pull overrides the illogical situation. Watching the film, I could not help but think about the children (and single parents) who lost a parent (or spouse) in the terrorist attacks of 9/11. The idea that one can someday converse with a loved one who disappeared into thin air without warning in the past has resonance for anyone who wonders how those families are coping as the years pass.

Rachel McAdams (star of “The Notebook”) is no stranger to the accessible character that she plays here. The best moments are those where she attempts to assert her own free will in a situation where she has no control. It is through her performance that the film finds some level of believability. Eric Bana gives a sympathetic quality to his character, and his subtle changes of appearance as he ages are remarkable. Let’s hope this isn’t overlooked when the Oscar nominations for Best Makeup are announced.

The standout performance in the film comes from young Tatum McCann, who plays a 5 year-old girl named Alba with stunning precision. This is an actress to keep your eyes on as she grows up. I am looking forward to many great performances from her in the future.

There will be those who love “The Time Traveler’s Wife”; it is romantic and original. There will also be some who don’t care for it; it can be confusing and static. Like the time traveler, I tend to go back and forth.

Hollywood liberal bias alert: One negative character is defined in the film as being a Republican. This information doesn’t matter at all to any aspect of the story Of course, this is not meant as a compliment. Typical.