Seen on: August 14, 2009
The players: Director: Robert Schwentke, Writer: Bruce Joel Rubin, Cast: Rachel McAdams, Eric Bana, Ron Livingston, Jane McLean, Arliss Howard
Facts of interest: Based on the novel by Audrey Niffenegger.
The plot: The film chronicles the love story between a young woman and a man who involuntarily travels through time.
Our thoughts: Even though I really tried to make it last a bit, my interest in Robert Schwentke’s big-screen romance “The Time Traveler’s Wife” almost disappeared as quickly as Eric Bana does in the film. I know it can be tough to take a movie like this one seriously in the first place, but I definitely tried. Alas, what I got in return almost wasn’t worth my time at all…
To keep things short, Eric Bana plays Henry, a guy with a rare genetic anomaly that causes him to travel through time. Henry has absolutely no control over this predicament, and his disappearances/appearances come unannounced. Oh, and before I forget, his clothes never travel with him, which means reappearing naked in a random location can really suck.
Still, despite his peculiar situation, Henry finds enough time for romance. The love of his life is the charming Clare (Rachel McAdams), a young woman Henry’s been visiting ever since she was a child. Needless to say, all this time traveling creates quite a few problems as the two lovebirds try to maintain a relatively normal relationship.
I walked into “Traveler’s Wife” expecting to see a well-developed drama examining the challenges Clare and Henry face when it comes to their relationship, but sadly, the film failed to do exactly that. Things heat up for a minute or two when Clare and Henry share a quick fight about their unusual lifestyle, but other than that, the plot clearly fails to dig deeper into more interesting territory.
I don’t know about you, but this whole time traveling situation is something I would probably have some real difficulty to deal with, no matter what situation I would be in. Yet, neither Henry nor Clare really opens up to us viewers, and although they clearly miss each other, they spend most of the film’s 107 minutes kissing and hugging. It’s good for them, but it’s no exactly intriguing to watch.
I admit I haven't read the book the movie is based on, but I hear from people who have that Audrey Niffenegger’s original story is a lot more complex and sophisticated. It’s a shame the big-screen adaptation lacks those qualities and details, because all I saw progressing in front of me was a slow-moving romance rescued by a handful of strong performances.
Indeed, it there is one thing I reallt enjoyed in this film, it’s the authentic chemistry between Bana and McAdams. Okay, they spend an awful lot of time cuddling and all, but when they do get to some exchange of dialogue, it’s easy to roll with the romance they share onscreen. It’s too bad their characters are not developed enough.
Freaky quote: "I travel through time" – Eric Bana
The final word: Solid acting performances are not enough to get me to cheer, and besides decent production values and a clean direction by Schwentke, “The Time Traveler’s Wife” doesn’t have anything remotely engrossing to capture my attention. The absurd concept is something I am willing to accept, but the shallow execution of said concept didn’t win me over. Too bad.
Article by Franck Tabouring