Though not a patch on Audrey Niffenegger¹s wonderful source novel, Robert Schwentke's delayed adaptation is not the painful hatchet-job suggested by the TV spots.
Shoehorned into 107 minutes, much of the novel¹s richness has been lost, while an appealing handful of supporting characters are left with little screentime and the score is intrusive.
All that said, the note-perfect casting of Eric Bana as time-travelling Henry and Rachel McAdams as his time-transcending life-love Clare are the movie's ace, both actors' conviction doing much to paper over its flaws, while the story's unique treatment of love and loss still cannot fail to catch at the heart.
