Aurorina

It’s not easy to put the original story in a two hour movie without confusing the audience. But they made it. The whole crew and cast were fantastic. They did a phenomenal job together. They accomplished the impossible.

First, the script is great. They kept the spirit of the story but they also adapted some parts. Like the scene when Henry tells Gomez he is actually a time traveler. In the book, Henry breaks into the store, picks some clothes and then he and Gomez head to a bar(or restaurant, I don’t remember). When he feels like dizzy and traveling again, he asks Gomez to go to the restroom with him. And then he disappears right in front of Gomez. But in the movie, he disappears once he gets dressed in the store. There is nothing right or wrong. It’s just different media. In a movie with a limit time, you just need to get straight to the point.

There are also many other scenes that are different from the book. And many details were cut as always. Like about Clare’s mother’s mental problem, and Mark’s girlfriend.

Second, the directing is great. I have seen another movie played by Rachel Adams(The Vow). I could tell that the story is good. It’s the same star. But the movie lacks of a bit of something which could make it a classic. I can’t tell exactly what it is. But I know I wasn’t as moved as I should be or I’d expected to be. They could put it better.  Same thing doesn’t happen in this movie. The story is well and clearly told, which is not easy because of the time travel thing, by the way. I think the director should be given the credit. It’s the director who put the story together, who decided where the story would go, from the very beginning.

Third, the stars are awesome. Rachel is so good. The first scene in the movie is the one when Clare and Henry meet each other for the first time in the real life. Clare knows Henry, but he doesn’t know her at all. She sees him and recognizes him. She is so happy that she couldn’t help it to murmur his name. She smiles toward him. She couldn’t move her eyes from him. Love is in her smile, in her eyes, on her face. You have to believe that she is deeply obsessed with him even if you’ve never read the book. There is no other explanation from her performance but she is in love with him, very much. Eric is very cool. His smile is charming. His experience as a time traveler in the movie is cool and fun(unless the ending). Their connection in the movie looks natural. The emotions, the reactions, the laughing and crying, all seem very natural. No overacting. No underacting. I think that’s what you call a good performance. Apparently, they both have the natural talent.

Other stars are great too. The little girl who plays young Clare is brilliant.

All together, they make it a five star movie. It’s the type of movie I like. It’s romantic. It’s warm. It’s fun. It’s a classic.

P.S. I used to think that an adapted movie could never be as good as the original book, because many details in the book hence the beauty of literature would be cut or deleted. But after I saw this movie and the interview with the screenplay writer and director, I started to accept their concept about book and movie. They are totally different media. They have very different language to tell a story. Nothing right or wrong. Nothing better or worse. They both exist with their own unique, peculiar beauty.