The Time Traveler's Wife is a surprisingly well-shot romance about a man who inexplicably travels through time and the woman he falls in love with and marries. Henry's disappearing act, which the movie is content to call a genetic anomaly and leave it at that, often keeps Claire without a husband for dinner and alone on Christmas and New Year's. The movie is both depressing and uplifting; it is unafraid to examine tragedy and death but knows that in the end it must give us new birth and eternal hope. The leads give heartfelt performances, but the dialogue and script often fall flat. It was hard for me to treat the scenario as realistically and everyday as they did, which often gave the piece a very written feel to it. Yes, I can see how it would be infuriating for Claire, but it's difficult to empathize with her when she lashes out at Henry for something he can't control. (And on a side note, the broken timeline is just too confusing for audiences to fully unravel on an initial viewing.)
Technically, the movie was an unexpected delight. The cinematography was exceptional. Nearly every scene had a fluid tracking shot with elegant compositions and rack focuses. The camerawork was beautiful and evocative, and it was integrated seamlessly with subtle, understated special effects. The "montage" scene before Alba's 5th birthday--where the camera circles the various rooms in their house to show Alba's childhood--is a perfect example. Another is the scene where Henry steps off the train after speaking with his mother for the first time since age 6. The movie has some truly stunning shots. If you like romances, or if you like technically proficient films, then you will no doubt like this movie. But if you don't, it with fail to change any opinions you hold about the romance genre.IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452694/