Year: 2015
Director: Lee Toland Krieger
Starring: Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Ellen Burstyn, and Harrison Ford
Tagline: The world has changed in the last century. Adaline has not.
Synopsis: A freak accident prevents Adaline from aging. Almost 80 years of hiding her secret is a lonely way to live.
Tagline: The world has changed in the last century. Adaline has not.
Synopsis: A freak accident prevents Adaline from aging. Almost 80 years of hiding her secret is a lonely way to live.
Review
Romances are not normally my thing. Honestly, I tend to avoid them and react to their previews with eye-rolling and groans. But the premise of The Age of Adaline caught my attention. The fact Harrison Ford was in it didn't hurt either. And frankly, sometimes its just nice to see something that isn't action, fantasy, or animated. Still, I went in with low expectations.
I can't quite say I was pleasantly surprised, but I was at least pleasantly diverted during the course of the film.
The film is what it is. It's a romance with a fantastical premise where a freak accident leaves a woman ageless, perennially 29 years old. If you can accept that premise, you can enjoy the ride.
The film's most glaring mistake was that it seemed incapable of accepting its own nature. The Age of Adaline is essentially a modern fairy tale. So when a narrator starts doing his thing during the opening scenes, it's not too unexpected or strange. Narrators are a familiar trope in fairy tales (see pretty much any Disney fairy tale for an example). But instead of embracing that fairy tale/fantasy nature, the narrator seems to think he was hired to do a documentary on the Science Channel. The film feels the need to offer a "scientific" explanation for Adaline's condition. They even give it some theoretical name, explaining how the scientific principles of the "physiological reaction" will be "discovered" in the year 2035.
I suppose it is a sad commentary of our modern era that the film feels the need to rely on "science" rather than allowing for a magical or miraculous occurrence. Who even needs an explanation? Groundhog Day never offered one, and was a stronger film for it. Honestly, the more "science" this film spewed the sillier it seemed. Nothing says "romance" like a clinical breakdown of how the body reacts during hypothermia, right?
Even without the narration, The Age of Adaline is hardly groundbreaking cinema. And it probably could have done more to delve into Adaline's character. It feels as if we only see a few glimpses into the life of a clearly fascinating woman who has more stories to tell than could ever fit in a two-hour time slot. But while the film isn't fantastic, it was on the whole enjoyable and it did some things quite right.
The film itself is beautiful. And it is bolstered by an excellent cast. Blake Lively is Adaline. It is no small feat to portray a 106-year-old woman in an unchanging 29-year-old body. But she does an admirable job of it. Adaline embodies the adage "still waters run deep." She is calm, reserved, somewhat aloof, but fascinating and mysterious at the same time. She catches the eye of her love interest, Ellis, when she is sitting outdoors reading braille, because apparently during her 80 years of being stuck, she decided to learn braille. Why not? She also speaks fluent Portuguese and is not someone to play Trivial Pursuit against. Adaline is likable and intriguing. And as she is conflicted between having a relationship and hiding her secret, she is even relatable.
The film uses a number of means to offer glimpses into the life that Adaline has led over the decades. Some worked better than others. At least for me, the most poignant involved her dog, and watching her flip through a photo album filled with pictures of previous dogs. Although she has a daughter, Flemming, for various reasons you realize those beloved dogs have been Adaline's only companions in her solitary existence.
Watching Adaline interact with her daughter -- who looks as though she were Adaline's grandmother -- is quite interesting. I wished there had been more to their story. But aside from a few flashbacks, we only see Flemming as an older woman who has long ago accepted her mother's condition and its ramifications on their relationship.
Although he doesn't have a lot of screen time, Harrison Ford's character, William, plays a pivotal role in the story. Although it is a far cry from the brash smuggler or intrepid archaeologist characters that made him famous, Ford fills the role perfectly. His character, Ellis' father, helps to ground the film (which it very much needs by the time he shows up) and bring perspective.
As I said, The Age of Adaline is what it is. It's a charming, romantic fairy-tale that takes a few missteps and falls short of its potential. But it is still likable (aside from the ridiculous narration) and beautiful. It manages to have sentiment without turning into schmaltz. If having read this you think it sounds interesting, go see it; you'll probably enjoy it. If The Age of Adaline is not for you ... The Age of Ultron is almost here.
*** Spoiler Section ***
The story wraps up tidily and rather predictably. It's a romance. That's what they do. You knew she'd run away and that something would stop her and bring about the final change of heart, allowing her to share her secret with Ellis. I was glad the film showed restraint and skipped from "My name isn't Jenny" to telling Flemming (hours later), "He knows." Thank you for not indulging in what would likely have been a sappy, over-the-top scene.
I can't quite say I was pleasantly surprised, but I was at least pleasantly diverted during the course of the film.
The film is what it is. It's a romance with a fantastical premise where a freak accident leaves a woman ageless, perennially 29 years old. If you can accept that premise, you can enjoy the ride.
The film's most glaring mistake was that it seemed incapable of accepting its own nature. The Age of Adaline is essentially a modern fairy tale. So when a narrator starts doing his thing during the opening scenes, it's not too unexpected or strange. Narrators are a familiar trope in fairy tales (see pretty much any Disney fairy tale for an example). But instead of embracing that fairy tale/fantasy nature, the narrator seems to think he was hired to do a documentary on the Science Channel. The film feels the need to offer a "scientific" explanation for Adaline's condition. They even give it some theoretical name, explaining how the scientific principles of the "physiological reaction" will be "discovered" in the year 2035.
I suppose it is a sad commentary of our modern era that the film feels the need to rely on "science" rather than allowing for a magical or miraculous occurrence. Who even needs an explanation? Groundhog Day never offered one, and was a stronger film for it. Honestly, the more "science" this film spewed the sillier it seemed. Nothing says "romance" like a clinical breakdown of how the body reacts during hypothermia, right?
Even without the narration, The Age of Adaline is hardly groundbreaking cinema. And it probably could have done more to delve into Adaline's character. It feels as if we only see a few glimpses into the life of a clearly fascinating woman who has more stories to tell than could ever fit in a two-hour time slot. But while the film isn't fantastic, it was on the whole enjoyable and it did some things quite right.
The film itself is beautiful. And it is bolstered by an excellent cast. Blake Lively is Adaline. It is no small feat to portray a 106-year-old woman in an unchanging 29-year-old body. But she does an admirable job of it. Adaline embodies the adage "still waters run deep." She is calm, reserved, somewhat aloof, but fascinating and mysterious at the same time. She catches the eye of her love interest, Ellis, when she is sitting outdoors reading braille, because apparently during her 80 years of being stuck, she decided to learn braille. Why not? She also speaks fluent Portuguese and is not someone to play Trivial Pursuit against. Adaline is likable and intriguing. And as she is conflicted between having a relationship and hiding her secret, she is even relatable.
The film uses a number of means to offer glimpses into the life that Adaline has led over the decades. Some worked better than others. At least for me, the most poignant involved her dog, and watching her flip through a photo album filled with pictures of previous dogs. Although she has a daughter, Flemming, for various reasons you realize those beloved dogs have been Adaline's only companions in her solitary existence.
Watching Adaline interact with her daughter -- who looks as though she were Adaline's grandmother -- is quite interesting. I wished there had been more to their story. But aside from a few flashbacks, we only see Flemming as an older woman who has long ago accepted her mother's condition and its ramifications on their relationship.
Although he doesn't have a lot of screen time, Harrison Ford's character, William, plays a pivotal role in the story. Although it is a far cry from the brash smuggler or intrepid archaeologist characters that made him famous, Ford fills the role perfectly. His character, Ellis' father, helps to ground the film (which it very much needs by the time he shows up) and bring perspective.
As I said, The Age of Adaline is what it is. It's a charming, romantic fairy-tale that takes a few missteps and falls short of its potential. But it is still likable (aside from the ridiculous narration) and beautiful. It manages to have sentiment without turning into schmaltz. If having read this you think it sounds interesting, go see it; you'll probably enjoy it. If The Age of Adaline is not for you ... The Age of Ultron is almost here.
*** Spoiler Section ***
The story wraps up tidily and rather predictably. It's a romance. That's what they do. You knew she'd run away and that something would stop her and bring about the final change of heart, allowing her to share her secret with Ellis. I was glad the film showed restraint and skipped from "My name isn't Jenny" to telling Flemming (hours later), "He knows." Thank you for not indulging in what would likely have been a sappy, over-the-top scene.
Quotable Quotes
- "That's the last picture I have of you." "If you've seen one you've seen them all." "That's true." -- Flemming and Adaline
- "Don't get sloppy. It's the little things that trip you up." -- Adaline
- "She said she can't ... change." -- William to Ellis
ISFS
