I expected this movie to be depressing straight through. I was glad that I was wrong. It’s not anything ground breaking, but it’s entertaining, and if you like Nicholas Sparks type movies, you’ll enjoy this one.
The premise is interesting enough: Adaline (Blake Lively) was born in the early 1900’s, and when she was 20 something, she was in a car accident. There was a freak weather something or other, which caused her to stop aging. There was a lot of science mumbo jumbo in both of the explanations, but it’s pretty much science fiction, so you don’t have to understand it. She stops aging. Fast forward to present day. Adaline looks exactly as she did in the 20’s, only now it’s 2015, and her daughter is passing as her grandmother. By chance Adaline meets a young man named Ellis (Michael Huisman) at a New Year’s Eve party and eventually the two start seeing each other. Ellis invites her to his parents’ for their big anniversary celebration, and Ellis’ father recognizes Adaline. Things obviously get complicated, and Adaline contemplates whether or not she can stay with Ellis (who has told her he’s falling in love with her).
Blake Lively proves she’s not just a pretty face in The Age of Adaline, delivering a performance that had more sophistication and maturity than I’ve seen from her. Maybe it wasn’t Oscar worthy, but it’s solid and believable, and she plays a likable character that is obviously lonely and a bit sad underneath her pleasant surface. Michael Huisman (known for his roles on Game of Thrones and Orphan Black) is adorable and sweet as Ellis, a somewhat naive and earnest young man who has come into a lot of money (through his own work). Harrison Ford plays Ellis’ father, William Jones, and this is where it got a little awkward. I felt like Ford and Lively’s scenes were pretty awkward, but that’s probably because the subject matter is weird.
Blake Lively is gorgeous. And she looks good in any decade.
Otherwise, this movie is cute, romantic, a bit sad, and sweet, with a satisfying ending. I recommend it for romance lovers who are fans of Nicholas Sparks, and stories like The Time Traveler’s Wife. Though this is quite a bit less sad.