What would you do if you could live forever? “Age of Adaline” ponders this question, telling the story of Adaline (Blake Lively) who was born in the early 1900’s, and a freak accident causes her body to stop aging on her 29th birthday, thus making her immortal. She spends the next 80 years running from place to place, changing identities and never letting anyone get emotionally close to her. But that all changes when a certain someone steps into her life.
The cinematography was an absolute treat for the eyes. The colors of the costumes and scenery were rich, deep hues, and this was complimented by steady camerawork. Transitions between the past and present were flawless, with the colors of the costumes and scenery muted to fit the earlier times. “Adaline” is, aesthetically, a gorgeous movie. If only the rest of the film followed suit.
The story has fairy tale, parable-like qualities to it, but this is supplanted by the over explained, science fiction reasons for Adaline’s condition. The film asks a lot from the viewer in this regard.
The plot, at times, is a little contrived with the typical romantic schmaltz. There is a twist that occurs that should happen earlier, as there could have been more time to expand on it and the characters involved. But once you get past its problems, there are still things to enjoy about this film, besides how pretty it looks.
All of the actors and actresses give charming performances. Lively does an excellent job as the titular character, presenting the wit and wisdom of someone who’s lived over 80 years. The chemistry between Lively and Michiel Huisman (Ellis) as her love interest fits the bill for a romance movie such as this. Harrison Ford (William) and Ellen Burstyn (Flemming) give great performances as a supporting cast, helping to ground the story as people who have experienced the natural flow of time and life.
Overall, “Age of Adaline” is an alright movie. It’s not terrible, but it’s not amazing. It makes for a good date movie with plenty of romance and magical realism to fill two hours.
