The Age of Adaline

It's been a while since I have purposely been to the cinema to see a romance film, let alone an epic romance which has been compared to the likes of The Notebook, but when I saw the trailer for The Age of Adaline, I felt compelled to see it because I liked the look of the cast as well as the story.

The Age of Adaline is the 2015 epic romance fantasy film from Lee Toland Krieger which focusses on a young woman who no longer ages because of an unusual accident in 1937.  Blake Lively (Gossip Girl, Savages), Michiel Huisman (Orphan Black, Game of Thrones) star in The Age of Adaline along with Harrison Ford (Original Star Wars trilogy, Indiana Jones series), Kathy Baker (Edward Scissorhands, The Town), Amanda Crew (Charlie St. Cloud, The Haunting in Connecticut), and Ellen Burstyn (Interstellar, The Fountain).

Rating: 7

Recommended To: Romance fans

Favourite Characters: Ellis

Favourite Part: Adaline: What are you doing here?
Ellis: I got something for you too.  [Pulls three books out of his bag] Some flowers.
Adaline: Daisy Miller by Henry James.  Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradburn.  White Oleander by Jenny Fitch.  [Laughs] Very clever.

Good Points: Beautifully shot; interesting premise; Harrison Ford

Bad Points: Predictable; hard to connect with Adaline at first

Adaline (Lively) was born in 1st January 1908 and married and had a child but became widowed following an accident during the building of the Golden Gate Bridge.  As she is driving to her parents' house, she has an accident which results in her not aging anymore.  While she is successful of keeping her secret until it becomes obvious that she hasn't aged when her daughter is the same age and so begins her life of running and changing her identity every few years so to keep her affliction hidden.  In her 107th year, under the guide of Jenny, she meets Ellis (Huisman) on New Year's Eve who she has a connection with but she politely refuses his advances; however, Ellis is determined and eventually persuades Adaline to go out on a date with him which leads into the two of them beginning of a relationship, something Adaline tries to avoid because of her affliction.

Aesthetically, Age of Adaline was beautiful; the combination of the golden lighting and excellent framing made it beautifully shot film for me, luring me in more.  It gave off this elegant feel which reflected Adaline's character as well contributing elements to the epic romantic genre they are aiming for.  The golden haze can trigger a happy feeling in our brains because of the connotations we have with it, making us feel warm and fuzzy inside which we can feel when we're falling in love.  The way the frame isolated the actors in the frame, keeping very tightly on their faces during certain conversations forced the viewer to focus on them alone, so to not be distracted which forced you into the story which is an excellent idea.

Overall, Age of Adaline has an unusual yet equally interesting premise about a "young" woman who has stopped aging; when I watched it, it felt like it was a book I hadn't read yet because it seemed so fantastical.  Even though I know it wasn't adapted from a book, I would love to read one with a similar premise because it's unusual; it raises a great question which could lead to a deep discussion - what would you do with your life if you stopped aging and seemingly live forever?  It's an ethical quandary and you could get some fantastic ideas from it - like you could live like Adaline or you could help people, just two examples when there are many more I am sure.  Films that can spark a conversation are always a good thing in my world.

While I feel they could have done more with his character expanded on his past a little, Harrison Ford was excellent as William, a powerful presence that brought some much needed tension which was equally heartbreaking and emotional.  Before Ford came in, Adaline and Ellis were just too "nice" together as Adaline allowed Ellis in, it wasn't until Ford entered, kicking the film up a notch and causing issues even though Ellis wasn't truly aware of the situation which made him come across very naïve to the older characters.  While it could have been anyone, Ford brought this caring, kind element as well as being forthright that I enjoyed about his character because it was interesting to this character long for the one that got away yet know wholeheartedly that he loves his wife.  He made Age of Adaline interesting as it started to become slightly dull which I'm thrilled about as it was well timed, taking us through highs and lows.

Some have found Ellis to be quite stalker-like as he continually tries to persuade Adaline to go out on a date with him but I think that's a cynical way of looking at his character in this world where men are constantly suspected to be predators.  I thought Ellis was adorable, a true romantic at heart, with his head in the clouds/stars like his father.  Granted, he was persistent in his pursuit of Adaline but I think he just feels that they would be good together if she gave him a chance, something she hasn't done for a long time.  He is good natured, smart, and not bad on the eye; what more do you need from a romantic lead.

Once you've watched the trailer for Age of Adaline, you pretty much know the basic plot because it gives you all of the key plot points, a major one being that Harrison Ford's character was a past love of Adaline's; this made Age of Adaline somewhat predictable because they had told you the basic gist in the trailer to entice you even though there are parts you're not expecting.  Nearing towards the end and after certain events had happened, it was clear where the story was going to end up which isn't necessarily but it take some mystery away.  However, I can live with predictability with this beautifully shot film; it's just a little disappointing.

Before she allowed herself to have a relationship with Ellis, it was hard to connect with her at first because she doesn't want anyone to discover the truth about her so she can protect herself and her daughter.  Maybe it was intentionally done by the director and writer or even Blake Lively but it made the first part of the film tedious in a way as it dragged.  Ellis and his family brought more energy and cracked through Adaline's hard shell which improved the film greatly.

Adaline: What are you doing here?
Ellis: I got something for you too.  [Pulls three books out of his bag] Some flowers.
Adaline: Daisy Miller by Henry James.  Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradburn.  White Oleander by Jenny Fitch.  [Laughs] Very clever.

I thought this part was adorable, I fell in love with Ellis, I don't care if Adaline didn't because it was just such a sweet gesture and clever.  For a self-confessed bookworm/bibliophile, I long for someone to do something like that for me, giving me a book to win my affections because they know me at least a little bit.  While I though Ellis was sweet when he and Adaline first met, he captured my attention in this part as he pursued Adaline, trying to convince her to date him, because he wasn't forcing himself on her, he just wanted her to give him a chance, something she hasn't done for years.  Others may find his behaviour creepy or stalker-like but from my point of view, Ellis is just trying to crack through Adaline's wall that she has put up so she makes no real connection because of her affliction because he is a romantic and sees a future with her.

With the trailer giving away most of the key plot points, Age of Adaline became predictable despite the fact that it's all-in-all, a beautiful film with an interesting premise.  While it was hard to connect with Adaline at first until she opened up more, Ford was outstanding and made the film better in my opinion, bringing some much needed tension to the story.  It's a beautiful story of love and the way it is shot reflects that as it brought an elegant feel to it all.  I would have liked some ambiguity but overall, I enjoyed Age of Adaline and recommend it to those that are looking for a date movie as it is romantic with some great actors who bring it to life.