The most depressing thing about the time traveller's wife is how it breaks your heart within the first five minutes. The story shows the distance between two people due to a lack of time. As time is one of the most precious things in life, Henry's condition creates a big strain on his relationship with Clare.
In a way, the problems between Clare and Henry could be compared to that of a real couple. A husband leaves the house for days on end and turns up again from nowhere, creating an emotional strain between him and his wife which only leads to sadness. Henry's condition makes him look like a selfish person, even though he has no control over the circumstances. This massive problem in their relationship just highlights how much they really love each other.
The story is complicated but somehow still easy to follow. Even though the film is thoroughly enjoyable, the constant skips back and forth through time are rather mind-boggling. The complex ideas of time travel are interesting and well entwined into the love story.
Because time travel is an old concept, the story provides new ideas as to how someone could skip backwards of forwards in time. The idea that Henry always arrives in the past or future nude is a clever and original concept. This idea actually makes a lot of sense because his condition is part of an odd bodily function and his clothes would not be affected by the travel.
Eric Bana shows his ability to keep the story emotionally tense throughout. Rachel McAdams also shines but not as brightly as she has in previous roles. Some of the other cast members fail to convince or show much emotional depth, mainly the younger actors and actresses. However, child actors tend not to have as much ability at such a young age.
The sentimentality and picturesque cinematography makes every second thoroughly enjoyable. The story is well put together and does not become unnecessarily difficult to follow. The mixture of all these elements makes The Time Traveller's Wife a delightful and touching love story.