Tuesday, August 25, 2009

THE TIME TRAVELERS' WIFE

Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams, Arliss Howard, Ron Livingstone


Cinema 3, Shang Cineplex



There are movies based on novels which you can watch without reading the book and still understand the main storyline. Well, sad to say this film isn't one of them. Even though the book was quite popular on the best sellers list, I wasn't particularly interested in the time travel premise so I didn't buy it. Now I wish I did.

Having said that it doesn't mean I didn't appreciate this uniquely intriguing love story. Once you get past the mind boggling premise of Henry's constant time travels (for instance how can there be two Henrys in the same time period? How come an older Alba gets to play with her younger self?), you simply take it for what it is - a beautiful yet complex romance between two people who were destined for each other. In that sense, the film spoke to the hopeless romantic in me.

I admit the main draw for me was Eric Bana. He has always been this good actor who can churn out solidly believable performances in his movies. Here as Henry he is sturdy and non threatening even though he has to live with such a strange disorder. Rachel McAdams played Claire as a very sympathetic character. You could feel her frustrations as the very patient wife yet at the same time you could also sense her profound love for Henry. When she tried several times to conceive well that's when my tear ducts just flowed. It was such a sensitive and highly poignant moment for me.

I like the fact that the film didn't use some scientific and technical method to portray Henry's disappearing act. Or else it would have been like some superhero flick. Instead they chose to focus on the love aspect and in that sense the film works for me. Ultimately, The Time Traveler's Wife is about living life to the fullest without any regrets. Claire made it totally clear towards the ending when she uttered "I won't change one second of our life, together".

4 comments:

docemdy said...

I've been waiting for this review from you because I watched the movie at the same cinema and thought I saw somebody who looked like you.

I didn't enjoy the movie and thought all the while that Aliens in the Attic would have been a better choice.

D@phneL@ur@ said...

Really? I watched with my parents at the Shang Cineplex last Tuesday. I have no idea what you look like so I wouldn't know it was you hehehe

The movie was ok. I'm thinking of buying the book because I'm so intrigued with the details behind this unique love story.

duds said...

Buy the book! Buy the book! Um, skip the ending - LOL! It was a lovely read despite the futuristic weirdness of Henry's disorder.

I'm not very impressed with Eric Bana but I really hope to appreciate the movie. Thanks for the review.

D@phneL@ur@ said...

You're welcome ilongga70. I hope you get to appreciate the movie as much as the book. Well I understand it is a rather complex story to adapt into a film but still it was intriguing nonetheless.

Yes I intend to buy the book. Hopefully this weekend! :D