review: the time traveler's wife

Synopsis: Based on the best-selling book about a love that transcends time. Clare has been in love with Henry her entire life. She believes they are destined to be together, even though she never knows when they will be separated: Henry is a time traveler — cursed with a rare genetic anomaly that causes him to live his life on a shifting timeline, skipping back and forth through his lifespan with no control. (rottentomatoes.com).

I should probably preface this by saying that I am a huge fan of the book (FYI: written by Audrey Niffenegger). In fact, it’s one of my favorite books and I waited very eagerly (and of course worriedly) about the release of this movie. It’s such a unique story but very complex so I wasn’t sure how that would translate to film.

Here’s what I thought:

• The casting turned out a lot better than I expected. While I had no doubts about Rachel McAdams’ ability to play Claire (so perfect!), I wasn’t too sure about Eric Bana as Henry. But he grew on me as the movie went on.
• I was disappointed by how much they left out from the book. It would’ve been impossible to include everything but I expected more. So many missing scenes came to mind as I watched and I felt should’ve been seen.
• The movie is about time travel so you can’t expect a clear, linear storyline. But because they left out so much, the time changes seemed even more abrupt? They kind of just jumped right in, with little explanation.
• Despite all that, there were some really touching scenes between the main characters and their chemistry definitely shone through.
• Biggest gripe: They changed the ending! Biggest surprise: The actress cast as their daughter was really, really great.

Overall: If you’re a fan of the book, be prepared to be mostly disappointed. If you’re not, then you might still be entertained. But – definitely read the book!