In a nanosecond world where sexual equality is an ideal, some themes are timeless. Take a woman’s simple desire to be courted like a lady and cherished like a jewel in a world where time slows down. In this tale of past-meets-present happily-ever-after, Leopold (Hugh Jackman) is a British duke in 1876 New York fascinated by engineering marvels and the modern notion of marrying for love.

Fate intervenes when Leopold accidentally follows 2001 scientist Stuart Besser (Liev Schreiber) home through his recently-discovered time portal. Once in Stuart’s modern apartment, the suitably shocked Leopold meets Stuart’s ex-girlfriend, world-weary executive Kate McKay (ever-perky Meg Ryan), who’s definitely not ready to swallow a nineteenth-century tall tale. Also pursued by her boss (Bradley Whitford), Kate just needs to get through another workweek unscathed. But the adaptable Leopold falls for her as he trips over slight mishaps with modernity. He otherwise gets on cannily with one exception: He’s a romantic in unromantic times. And for Kate he turns out to be just what the doctor ordered.

Side plots include the romantic missteps of Kate’s lively actor brother Charlie (Breckin Meyer), for whom Leopold acts as competent counsel. But the time-crossed lovers are the main course. Although the fare is light and predictable, and the scatterbrained pseudoscience can’t possibly suspend disbelief, the courtly message is transparent and too appealing to dismiss.