Roads? Where We're Going, We May Not Require Them.

So, Eric Bana eh, what happened to him? Chopper, stand up, Incredible Hulk, Jewish avenger, Funny Person...

And now, in the oddly named The Time Traveler's Wife he plays a man who from a young age in a tragic car crash can somehow travel time, and as things happen to him and people who met him years ago meet up once more only to find that he doesn't know them yet, it's a convoluted romance drama about Eric Bana and a long crush of his in Rachel McAdams, who thankfully isn't the lead unlike the title's suggestion, and it's a tale of one man's irregular problem, he can't control it, and how it affects the ones he loves.

For the first 30 minutes nothing is really explained about what happens that makes him travel, and as it leads to a big wedding scene I personally was beginning to feel that if we get no explanation about this odd behaviour the film will be another chick flick with no sense, a Lake House if you will. Somehow during a series of moments involving different aged Banas doing the wedding reception I got lost in the interest of the character too much to care, and from then on out the drama of one man who can't control his problem alongside an annoyingly, and very suddenly bitchy, wife became something I wanted to watch.

Yes the film's script is dripping with cliche dialogue, contrived scenarios and deus ex machina but it's Eric Bana's showcase and he show's off a lot, his humour, heart, emotion, I was enthralled by this man's journey, especially the darker turns and a heartwrenching moment where he goes into the future 10 years and meets his daughter.

This isn't My Sister's Keeper "Look, dying girl, audience, CRY AT MY COMMAND!" instead it's a sweet, oddly dark drama that avoids asking questions but softly touches upon subjects that are all too real in an odd inventive way.

Add to that the director's obvious visual flares, Bana falls on the floor as he disappears, we fall with him, a long tracking shot of a house through the ages from birth of daughter to 5th birthday, it's these wonderful flourishes that help raise this film above a generic studio romance for the gals, instead it feels like, although a bit bad in the acting of everyone sans Bana, a solid little film that's rather lovely.

7/10