The Movie
Based on the bestselling book by Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler's Wife is a curiously original fusion of genres, making both science fiction (there's time travel involved) and romance (somebody gets hitched) seem new again. Much has changed and been dropped on the way from book to screen, but the basic gist is that George (Eric Bana) has come unstuck in time, uncontrollably leaping between familiar times and places, even beyond the confines of his own lifespan. He's mysteriously drawn to a child named Clare (eventually Rachel McAdams, who looks at him the way every guy wants a girl to look at him), slowly establishing a love that transcends time. It's an epic, not always happy love story--George might disappear for weeks at a time, always coming and going buck-naked--but definitely a novel one.
Also check out Lexi Feinberg's review of The Time Traveler's Wife.
The Picture
The photography of Time Traveler's Wife is simply beautiful, crisp, and at times throbbing with colors so strong, these 2.4:1 images look as if ripped from a child's fairytale, a deliberate choice by the director. A faint film grain graces the movie, with some minor video noise on fine print in soft focus, while the blacks are fine, natural if not exceptionally detailed. Not a lot of complaints here.
The Sound
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track exhibits an enjoyable, subtle rear-channel fill that enhances the home theater presence of the film. Music is mixed wide, with a lot of detail and a pleasing tonal quality. The volume level of the disc is lower than expected, but nothing that couldn't be fixed by nudging the big knob. Some noteworthy surround effects punctuate the audio--a gunshot or two in the background, an off-camera voice, some solid fireworks--but in general this is not a particularly aggressive mix.
The Extras
Two featurettes are the primary bonuses here, both in high definition. "The Time Traveler's Wife: Love Beyond Words" (21 minutes) charts the evolution from book to screenplay and the many inherent challenges. And in the Blu-ray-exclusive "An Unconventional Love Story" (26 minutes), the stars and filmmakers discuss the ideas and themes that make this story special, complete with behind-the-scenes footage. Disc Two is a DVD-ROM containing Warner's usual generous offering of a Digital Copy of the movie for iTunes and Windows Media, also exclusive to this high-def edition.
Final Thoughts
A very different yet still relatable love story, The Time Traveler's Wife requires an open mind in addition to a romantic heart. And with two such attractive leads, Blu-ray is the only way to fly.
Product Details
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