The Time Traveler’s Wife: A Romantic Film with a Brain

The Time Traveler’s Wife is not a great film, but I went into the theater expecting it to be a terrible film and was pleasantly surprised. Not only is it not terrible, it is actually a fairly strong portrait of eternal love in the face of great adversity. Fueled by a mind-bending premise that is reminiscent of some of the great romantic films of recent years (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button come to mind) The Time Traveler’s Wife is an interesting, thoughtful film that, though flawed, is overall a worthwhile experience.

The story of The Time Traveler’s Wife is somewhat hard to summarize. Henry (Eric Bana) suffers a rare genetic anomaly which causes him to travel through time, however he is completely unable to control his time traveling. Clare (Rachel McAdams) meets Henry when she is six and when he is in his thirties; however his earliest encounter with her happens when he is in his twenties and she is too. As they fall in love and build a life with each other they are tested by the difficulty of how to cope with the difficulty of Henry’s condition.

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One of the biggest problems I had with the film came from the ease with which these two characters fall in love; while much of the movie is about the complications and hardships of their relationship together after they’ve fallen in love, it felt almost as if the characters didn’t have to do anything to earn the other’s love. This complaint could be easily countered with a “they are destined for each other, and people destined for each other don’t have to work to fall in love” argument, but there was still something too easy, too convenient about how easily each one wins over the other.

Eric Bana gives what is arguably the strongest performance of his career with his delicate and subtle performance of Henry. He manages to never overdo the performance which has the added difficulty of having an unbelievable, magical element to it. Rachel McAdams doesn’t do quite as well, she brings her characteristic charm to the part, and doesn’t ever detract from the movie, but she seems to use the same approach in many scenes. She utilizes the weepy, tear filled eyes a little bit too much. Both Bana and McAdams seamlessly play a range of ages.

The entire supporting cast is pretty brilliant with standout performances by Ron Livingston, Arliss Howard and Stephen Tobolowsky. All three of these actors are criminally underused (Toblowsky, in particular, only really has two or three scenes) and they turn in beautiful performances as other people being affected by Henry’s condition. The film also benefits from unusually strong performances by children, Alex Ferris (as young Henry), Brooklyn Proulx (as young Clare), and Hailey & Tatum McCann give extremely nuanced performances, especially when you consider that the oldest of these actors is thirteen.

While The Time Traveler’s Wife is not really concerned with the science-fiction element inherent to its story, I did find myself frustrated at times thinking of the implications of the premise. The thought that one of these two characters would experience their collective firsts (i.e. their first meeting which for her happens in a meadow when she is a little girl and he is in his thirties or forties, but for him happens in a library when he is in his twenties and she is in her late teens or twenties) separate from the other No doubt that this movie, more so than most, requires that the audience really suspend their disbelief in order to enjoy.

One of the best things about the movie was the simple, classical style of the camera work and editing. Director of Photography Florian Ballhaus and Editor Thom Noble manage to never let their work overpower the story or the performances. In particular, a montage that occurs in the final third of the movie is one of the most beautiful and resonating in a long time. In keeping with the subtlety and simplicity of the piece Director Robert Schwentke has a very organic, natural style that allows the film to speak for itself. Overall the various artists and technicians that made the film seem to all have been working towards the common goal of making an old-school movie, with new-school ideas.

The one thing that seems to diverge from the classical style of the film is the special effect that is used when Henry is time travelling. There is something unsatisfying about the way in which his body seems to dissolve into the air, it has the feeling of the effect not being fully thought out. It seems to me that this effect could have been not shown at all (as it is at several points throughout the film, as when a police officer puts Henry in the back of his car, only to turn around and have him not be there anymore) and that this technique would have been less distracting and resulted in the entire movie being stronger. Also the film never really goes into if Henry arrives in a new place in the same way he travels out of an old place, in other words the movie never shows him dissolve into the new time (although he always arrives naked) almost as if the filmmakers knew that the effect could have been worked around, at least somewhat. (According to the friend that I brought with me, who has read the book, in the novel Henry just disappears and reappears, there is not dissolving effect at all.)

The writing by Bruce Joel Rubin from the novel by Audrey Niffenegger is consistent with the disparate elements of the movie; also, according to my friend the screenplay is very loyal to its source. There are some glaring shortcomings, such as Henry’s time traveling being supposedly random but often happening at the most inconvenient times, but overall the supernatural and romantic elements of the film blend well together (it is noteworthy to mention that Rubin has previously won an Oscar in similar territory with the screenplay for Ghost) and, even with the outrageous premise, the dialogue is sharp, natural and well thought out.

The Time Traveler’s Wife is actually a pretty good movie. While I doubt the movie will ever be remembered as much else but an above average, late Summer romantic film, it is definitely worth your time.

The Time Traveler's Wife is in theaters everywhere today.