Why So Blu?

The Time Traveler’s Wife (Blu-ray Review)

Originally a novel penned by Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler’s Wife made its big screen debut last autumn.  The film had many waiting with baited breath in hopes that their affinity for the publication would be equally appeased on film.  After all, Niffenegger’s work was a best seller and the film had two big names headlining the production in Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams.  The film underachieved at the box office, but is that really any indicator on how good or bad it really is?  Soon to makes its transition to the Blu-ray format, The Time Traveler’s Wife can now be watched in the brilliance of 1080p.

Film 

The premise of the story is certainly a unique and interesting one.  The film contains obvious science fiction aspects, but also a strong love story with neither being the mainstay of the movie’s content.  Both of these structure the Traveler’s delivery in the one-hour, forty-seven-minute runtime.  Bana plays Henry DeTamble, a normal-looking man with a very abnormal ability.  DeTamble has the uncanny knack of moving back and forth through time, often against his will.  While such an occurrence may sound plain silly, it is a rather ‘un-silly’ reason why Henry does what he does.  Believe me when I say you need to watch the film for the explanation. 

Enter Clare Abershire (McAdams), the seemingly star-struck woman who is somewhere between shock and head over heels upon her ‘first’ encounter with DeTamble, her eventual husband.  Fast forward a bit and we discover that though the two share a distinctly strong bond, Clare understandably loses patience over time with her husband’s sudden disappearances as he is transported to another time and place with an unknown hour or day of return.  Both Bana and McAdams are quite proficient in their roles though their chemistry and that of the story’s does not truly surface until Traveler’s halfway mark. 

In all honesty, this movie was a tedious and almost suffering experience during the first 50 minutes.  It just lumbered on with a disintegrating Henry DeTamble dropping his clothes around every corner while Clare seemed borderline superfan to Bana’s character.  You must be patient with this film.  I see now why several critics and cinema patrons gave up on this one.  But, just as a football game doesn’t stop at three quarters of play, The Time Traveler’s Wife does not cease at 50 minutes.  The story begins to take a more definitive shape while foreshadowing abounds after surpassing the middle point.  It is only then that you get to begin working with something more substantial as a viewer.  When it’s all over, you’ll be glad you sat tight for the film’s complete story to play out for your senses.

Video 

One could not ask for a more crisp, clear viewing of this story as its palette is a beautifully vibrant one in the VC-1 encode.  This picture is a fine example of 1080p resolution producing such minute details as every beard whisker and skin pore upon the actors’ faces, while the aspect ratio of 2.35:1 soundly carries the picture on your television.  Grain is kept at absolute minimal levels, even in low light shots, which is an unexpected but appreciated high point.

Audio 

If you’re looking for an all-encompassing sound experience, you would do yourself a favor by not putting The Time Traveler’s Wife high on your ‘must hear’ list.  This track is front-heavy with only the occasional, although pleasantly surprising, rear speaker sound.  As is the case with just about any dialogue-driven movie, those speakers behind you just do not get much of a workout (and by dialogue-driven I’m referring to the non-action, non-musical productions that do not utilize your audible arsenal).  Your subwoofer will lie pretty dormant in these kinds of films as well.  There is nothing wrong with the disc, it’s just the nature of the beast in this case.  Still, it leaves the viewer hoping for something more.  In the end, however, you will find the dialogue quality to be quite clear and fulfilling.

Special Features 

There’s good news and bad news here.  The good news is all the features on this disc are in 1080i high definition!  The bad news is there are only two extras.  Nevertheless, for those two extras, there is a decent amount of substance in both time and content.

• An Unconventional Love Story – This featurette contains several short discussions with the director, producers and actors from The Time Traveler’s Wife regarding their points of view on the script, the story’s flow, and filming various scenes (25:55).
• The Time Traveler’s Wife – Love Beyond Words:  Actors Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana, as well as screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin and director Robert Schwentke talk about the story’s transition from novel to movie (21:06).

Final Thoughts 

In the end, The Time Traveler’s Wife was a decent film.  It just had some difficulty getting off the ground early on.  Looking back on those first 50 minutes, you will notice some ‘where is this going’ footage, sure, but also some content that does strongly tie in to the latter half of the film.  The originality of the story definitely separates this movie from the pack as far as others in the love story genre are concerned.  It may leave you scratching your head in bewilderment at times and checking your watch at others, yet in the end, you may just find a few ‘ah-ha’ moments scattered throughout.  

 

Pre-order The Time Traveler’s Wife on Blu-ray today!