Review: The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)

[Steve Rhodes]

THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2009 Steve Rhodes

RATING (0 TO ****):  ** 1/2

THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE is the sort of movie that makes you wish you had 
read the book but skipped its cinematic adaptation.  While the time 
traveling concept is consistently intriguing, the movie itself more often 
fizzles than sizzles.  The script by Bruce Joel Rubin (THE LAST MIMZY), 
based on Audrey Niffenegger's novel, has many lovely, touching scenes, but 
somehow director Robert Schwentke (FLIGHT PLAN) never seems to be able to 
stitch the movie's many poignant moments into a consistent and satisfying 
whole.

As Clare Abshire, the film's female love interest, Rachel McAdams gives a 
performance reminiscent of the one she did in THE NOTEBOOK, another weepie 
like THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE.  Since the story flashes back and forth in 
time, other actresses play Clare when she is younger than 18.

Henry DeTamble (Eric Bana), the story's central character, even if the title 
suggests otherwise, is a thief, but it's not his fault really.  He is a time 
traveler unable to control much of anything.  At random moments in his life, 
he is transported back and forth in time, sometimes meeting himself at 
another age in the process.  His life is a series of "cant's."  He can't 
decide when or where to time travel to.  He can't change the future.  And, 
what proves to be his biggest problem, is that he can't take his clothes 
with him.  This means that he arrives naked in some semi-random place and 
time.  Much of movie has us watching him breaking into places in order to 
steal clothes.  This, of course, can be dangerous.  If a naked man was 
breaking into your place of business, wouldn't you want to get your gun out?

Although much more of a romantic tragedy than a romantic comedy, the film 
has many quite funny and cute moments.  At his wedding, for example, Henry 
keeps finding himself disintegrating and being transported back and forth in 
time like a toy on a spring.  Whether he'll be able to complete his vows is 
uncertain, since he keeps being AWOL.

By far the best scene in the picture is driven by Clare, who cheats on her 
husband.  But, this one-night stand is no mere fling.  She purposely sets 
out to cheat on her husband with a distinct purpose in mind.  And with whom 
does she cheat?  Why her husband, making this the rare movie in which a 
cheating wife cheats on her husband with her husband.  If this concept makes 
your head spin, it is just one of many quasi-illogical moments.  THE TIME 
TRAVELER'S WIFE, however, works best when one doesn't think too hard.

THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE runs 1:47.  It is rated PG-13 for "thematic 
elements, brief disturbing images, nudity and sexuality" and would be 
acceptable for kids around 10 and up.

The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, August 14, 2009. 
In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the Cinemark 
theaters and the Camera Cinemas.

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