REVIEW: The Time Traveler’s Wife

I went into the theatre not really knowing what to expect. A lot of my friends saw the movie before me and I got a lot of mixed reviews.  I really like romance stories, and I really like Rachel McAdams, so I just had to go see for myself.

I have never read the book, but I thought the concept was pretty self explanatory: man and woman fall in love. Man travels randomly through time which puts strain on the relationship. Though the idea seems simple, it was a little confusing at first, watching the present Henry DeTamble (Bana) interact with the future or past Henry DeTamble or seeing the future or past Henry interact with other characters who were set in the present. For example, the day of Henry and Clare (McAdams) are to wed, Richard travels through time, leaving Clare on their wedding day. Fortunately, the future Henry was traveling backward in time while the present Henry was traveling (somewhere) in time.  So the real Henry actually misses his wedding, but Clare is able to still have the wedding.

Not only was the beginning confusing at times, but it was also a little slow. The second half really picks up when the climax of the story keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. Well, maybe not the entire audience, but it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. The future Henry appears while the DeTambles are having dinner with friends. Future Henry is curled up under a blanket, shivering and bleeding on the ground. He then disappears.

This movie definitely touched the audience. When the movie ended, many of the movie-goers were in tears, including my cousin, who came with me.

I definitely want to check out the book and see how it compares.