Movie Battle: The Time Traveler's Wife Vs. About Time

Again I have chosen two movies with a similar theme. Both movies are about time travel. I love both movies, so it would be hard to pick a winner. Just let them go head to head and I will decided who’s the match winner in “The Time Traveler’s Wife” Vs. “About Time”.

 

CAST

The Time Traveler’s Wife: Eric Bana is Henry, the guy who can travel through time but doesn’t have any control over it. The titular wife Clare is portrayed by Rachel McAdams. They both do a great job, but I think McAdams is the big star in the film. She really shines.

About Time: Tim is played by Domhnall Gleeson. He can time travel and he can control it. He has to get into a small, dark place, clutch his fists and think of a moment he wants to travel back to. He can relive his own past, but he cannot make any major changes, because it will have effect on the present. His wife is played by, again, Rachel McAdams. And again she shines. Bill Nighy is the guy stealing all the scenes, as Tim’s dad.

STORY

The Time Traveler’s Wife: I just love the book, so the story is one of my favourites of all time. I was very excited when they turned it into a movie and I think they did a fantastic job. It was criticized, but I really liked the film.

About Time: I thought it was going to be another standard story about a guy who time travelled. I was really surprised with this film and it is actually on my favourites list now. It just feels so honest and real.

EFFECTS

The Time Traveler’s Wife: The moments that Henry disappears were made very well, it’s like pieces of a puzzle falling apart.

About Time: I just love the way this movie was filmed and I liked the colors and tones of the film.

WINNER

Like I said, “About Time” has become one of my favourites. It’s amazing, I love it. It’s is actually Rachel McAdams best film so far.

Top 5 Thursday: Rachel McAdams Movies

Rachel McAdams is one of my favorites and I saw her for the first time in “Wedding Crashers”. I decided to watch more movies of her and she totally stole my heart, every single time. So here are my five favorite movies of her (still have to see “To the Wonder”).

5. The Time Traveler’s Wife
I love the book more, but this movie really is amazing. And Rachel does a fantastic job as Clare.

4. Sherlock Holmes
I loved this movie the first time I saw it. I liked the second one too, but this a little better. I’m a fan of Sherlock Holmes, the character and the books, so I’m critical. This turned out fine and I love it.

3. Red Eye
Such a scary movie, on the edge of you seat exciting! And every time I watch it it’s just as thrilling.

2. The Notebook
Definitely one of the most romantic stories ever told. What a wonderful film. Such perfect chemistry Rachel and Ryan have.

1. Midnight in Paris
This has become one of my favorite films over the years. I’m actually in love with this movie. Not so much Rachel’s character, because Inez is a horrible person, but this movie is just fantastic. People who’ve seen it know what I mean.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Wedding Crashers, Morning Glory, The Lucky Ones, State of Play

Top 5 Thursday: Female Book Characters

I already shared my favorite movie character, both male and female, with you. Now it’s time for the book characters that I love. As always, ladies first.

5. Clare Abshire (“The Time Traveler’s Wife” by Audrey Niffenegger)
Some people might call Clare insane, for giving up her life for a man who travels through time. He can leave at any time and be gone for quite a while. Clare knew that she loved Henry and she wouldn’t be happy without him. To me, Clare is a hero.

4. Minerva McGonagall (“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J.K. Rowling)
Professor McGonagall seems fierce and she is very strict. That has led to a huge amount of respect. I like her as an authority figure and she’s always been my favorite female character from the Harry Potter series. Her students can always rely on her.

3. Jane Eyre (“Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë)
Jane is an intelligent, honest, plain-featured young girl forced to contend with oppression, inequality, and hardship. I love that she’s so assertive and she speaks her mind, although most people won’t expect it.

2. Katniss Everdeen (“The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins) Far out the strongest woman I ever read about. Katniss has to survive in a game where young people have to kill each other. Most people would have already given up, but not Katniss. She fights, helps others and defeats.

1. Elizabeth Bennet (“Pride & Prejudice” by Jane Austen)
It is already my favorite book, but Elizabeth Bennet is an intelligent young woman, with a lively, playful disposition, which delighted in anything ridiculous. Elizabeth doesn’t want what every other woman wants (read: her mother). She doesn’t want to just ‘marry well’. She wants to love a man and marry him out of love.

They almost made the top 5: Celia Foote (“The Help”), Hermione Granger (“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J.K. Rowling), Fanny Price (“Mansfield Park” by Jane Austen), Beatrice Prior (“Divergent”’ by Veronica Roth), Matilda Wormwood (“Matilda” by Roald Dahl), Benny Hogan (“Circle of Friends” by Maeve Binchy), Violet Baudelaire (“A Series of Unfortunate Events” by Lemony Snicket), Allie Hamilton (“The Notebook” by Nicholas Sparks) and Cecilia Tallis (“Atonement” by Ian McEwan)

Movie Tip #41: The Time Traveler's Wife

Director: Robert Schwentke

Starring: Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams

Description: When Henry DeTamble (Eric Bana) meets Clare Abshire (Rachel McAdams) in a Chicago library they both understand that he is a time traveler, but she knows much more than this about him as he has not yet been to the times and places where they have met before. He falls in love with her, as she has already with him, but his continuing unavoidable absences time travelling - and then returning with increasing knowledge of their future - makes things ever more difficult for Clare.

Review: Something that sometimes bothers me in 'time travel fiction' is that there is usually a large chunk of the storytelling dedicated to the tedium of explaining 'how' time travel works. "The Time Traveler's Wife" is one of those films that pays more attention to the characters than to all the technicalities. That's what I liked the most about this movie. We really get to know Henry and Clare, who you both gain a lot of sympathy for. And you feel their feelings. Especially Clare's feelings, because she loves Henry so much and she gives up a lot of herself to be with him. This is a true love story, that really gets to you. And it's easy to follow although the story is pretty complex and not completely chronilogical. Rachel McAdams plays Clare, and I already said many times that she's one of my favorites. She proves again why. She's stunning as Clare and very believable and heartfelt. She had some really intense scenes and they stole my heart. I never was a fan of Eric Bana, who portayed Henry, but he's very good in this movie. But less than his leading lady. They make a great combination, they have chemistry. Even if you think the story sounds kinda weird, give it a shot. It won't disappoint you. The movie is based on a bestselling book by author Audrey Niffenegger.

New books

I recently ordered some books and I got them in the mail today. I have a lot of books to read, so I'll have to wait to read those. But here's what I got:

- "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert: It's a true story about Liz Gilbert, who has everything she could ever dream about: a husband, a house and a succesfull career. Yet like so many others, she found herself lost, confused, and searching for what she really wanted in life. Newly divorced and at a crossroads, Gilbert steps out of her comfort zone, risking everything to change her life, embarking on a journey around the world that becomes a quest for self-discovery. In her travels, she discovers the true pleasure of nourishment by eating in Italy; the power of prayer in India, and, finally and unexpectedly, the inner peace and balance of true love in Bali. There's also a movie coming out, with Julia Roberts but I want to read the book before I go see the movie.

- "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger: Henry DeTamble has a genetic anomaly that allows him to travel in time; however, he is not able to control the moment or the destiny of his voyages. When the stranger Clare Abshire meets him in the library, she invites him to have dinner with her, where she confesses that she has been in love with him since she was six years old. Henry learns that he had visited her many times in the real state of her parents and he falls in love with her. Sooner they get married, but the life of Clare becomes troubled with the successive unexpected travels of her beloved husband. I've seen the movie with Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana, which I loved, and I didn't know it was a book until after I saw the movie. So that made me want to read the book.

- "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold: Susie Salmon is a 14-year-old girl who gets murdered by her neighbour Mr. Harvey. She tells the story from heaven and sees how her family tries to move on or is still trying to deal with Susie's death. I also saw this movie, but I wanted to read the book anyway.

Can't wait to start reading those, but like I said there's a pile waiting for me. So, lots of reading to do in my summer vacation!!