THE TIME TRAVELLER’S WIFE

US, 2009, 107 minutes, Colour.
Rachel Mc Adams, Eric Bana, Arliss Howard, Ron Livingston, Stephen Tobolowsky.
Directed by Robert Schwentke.

Many years ago, there was a rather sweet romantic film with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, Somewhere in Time. More recently there was the romantic, The Lake House, with Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. For All Time (2000) with Mark Harmon and Mary Mc Donnell was based on a Rod Serling Twilight Zone story.

One of the ways of exploring the realities of love and commitment, happiness and sorrow and loss, is to use the conventions of time travel fantasy. Based on a very popular novel by Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler's Wife is firmly in this genre – and many audiences have found that they can have more than a little weep as they watch it and remember it.

Time travel seems philosophically impossible as well as physically impossible, bodies moving through space and time – and even, as happens in this story, an older self being present with a younger self.

However, this film does not try to explain anything but takes it for granted that this is a genetic disorder (and can be passed on to the next generation). This means that there are no discussion scenes of how it works. The plot simply gets on with it, establishing it very well in the opening few minutes when the older Henry (Eric Bana) comforts his younger self when his mother is involved in a car accident.

What the film does not quite do for the sceptic's satisfaction is to explain why, in going backwards and forwards in time and space, the travellers know some things about the past and not others. The travellers do not seem to have any control about where they go and when, which leads to some confusion on the travellers' part (Henry's wife knows more about him than he of her because he visited her when she was a child and he was older than when she encounters him in real life; and some know the dates of death and others not).

But, here the review is spending more time on explanations than the film does. Which means that the comment should be more about the characters, how the time travel affects them, especially in their love and marriage, their family, loss and death. If you have surrendered to the basic fantasy and to the characters, then you won't have any difficulty feeling with them. Eric Bana is charming and often bewildered. Rachel Mc Adams is prettily smiling and sad as the wife. There are friends, helpful doctors and a daughter who also time travels.

For those who have not read the book, this is just another romantically happy and sad tale of love and loss. Apparently, many of those who have read the book have expressed satisfaction that the film captures the essence of the novel.

1.Romance and fantasy combined? The appeal of each?

2.The periods, the past and the present, the city, the countryside? A sense of realism for the fantasy? Musical score?

3.The theme of time travel: philosophically possible or not, physically possible or not, time and space, bodies moving from one time to another, place to another? Older character being with the younger self?

4.The introduction to Henry and the theme: his mother, her singing, the car, Henry and his voice, singing Jingle Bells, the crash? Henry being saved at age six? The older Henry going to him? Reassuring him?

5.Audiences accepting this version of time travel – and being able to surrender to the love story?

6.Henry and his work, the library? His vanishing and reappearing? The visual device for this? Not taking his clothes with him, naked, having to find clothes?

7.Clare arriving in the library, her delight to see Henry, their talk, his not knowing who she was? Hearing her story? The flashbacks? The relationship, the sexual relationship, friendship? The background of Gomez and Jane? Warning Clare? Her marrying Henry – and the celebration?

8.Their life together, Claire knowing what the reality was, accepting it? The effect on her? Their looking for the house, the right house, her studio? Her pregnancy, the pain of the miscarriage? The baby time travelling? The hospital, Henry’s decision, the vasectomy, not telling Clare?

9.The flashbacks to Henry’s visit to Clare when she was a little girl, her talking, finding the blanket, the various visits? The visit where Henry kisses her – and his telling her this in the context of the vasectomy? His return as a younger self, her pregnancy, the birth of the child?

10.The doctor, his thinking that Henry’s explanation was a joke? Henry revealing knowledge about the doctor? His decision to help, the x‑rays, the language about his condition, further information, the doctor and his continual help? The concern about the child and the genetic disorder, time travelling?

11.Henry arriving back wounded, knowing what had happened? The scenes with Alba, watching her parents? Her meeting Henry, her knowing about the time of his death?

12.Alba’s birth, her name, the joy, growing up, the years passing, the parties, her playing with the older self? The older girl telling the younger one about her father’s death?

13.The fifth birthday, Christmas, joy, the lit-up tree, the presence of Henry’s father (after the clashes before)? Gomez and Charisse? Henry’s disappearance, returning shot, his death?

14.The finale, Alba and her mother, Henry returning – and vanishing? The happiness of knowing his being present?

15.The film as a love story, as a portrait of children and family, as a mystery, love and loss – and the affirmation of life?