The Age of Adaline
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| Lionsgate |
How would you approach life if you never grew older? How would it affect the way you form or participate in relationships? Of course, it’s a scenario of pure fantasy but the question that arise from the implications it would have concerning the human spirit are interesting to think about. The Age of Adaline explores this scenario as its title character is faced with the reality of never aging.
With a rather History Channel-like voice over explanation, we learn that Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) miraculously acquired the condition of never aging past the age of 29 after being struck by lightning immediately after driving off the road resulted in an automobile accident. Because of this super natural condition, Adaline must constantly flee from identity to identity, city to city in order to keep anyone from ever finding out who she really is.
Problems with this way of life arise though when, at the insisting of her daughter Flemming (Ellen Burstyn, becoming the go to choose when casting a daughter that is older than a parent), begins a relationship with Ellis (Michiel Huisman) whose father James happens to be a past romance of hers. While this premise along with the romantic tie in is charming, The Age of Adaline never goes as deep as it could given its thought provoking dilemma.
The Age of Adaline posses a level of sophistication that is rather satisfying in large part due to its pacing and title character. While were not talking about an extremely smart script, it does, ii its first act anyway, seem to know how to present the subject matter in an eloquent way that gives it a highbrow feel. It lets things play out a bit without a whole lot of talk, almost as if the audience is being slowly seduced into the story. This all helps in properly introducing the character of Adaline.
The romantic storyline here can be very charming at times but not near as charming as Adaline herself. Just moments after The Age of Adaline begins, it becomes clear that Adaline is knowledgeable and not afraid to let it be known. The audience sees this knowledge throughout with her witty, almost passive aggressive like way of sharing facts or just wisdom that she has gained over her many years on earth.
The characteristics of Adaline wouldn’t be as satisfying if not for Blake Lively in the role. Lively, very charming herself, seems to be a perfect choice here as she takes on the role with the right level of confidence and whit needed. It is her delivery that not just carries a large portion of the film but matches or even setting the films pace.
As the story starts to unravel, when its romantic plot reaches its climax, the enjoyment in the film up to this point and the character fades away. With its premise and plot, The Age of Adaline promises an epic sort of romance. And while the romance between Adaline and Ellis along with flashbacks between her and James can be rather delightful at times, it never reaches the grand level that is expected as things move too fast for its own good. While the mistake of turning things into a love triangle is avoided, the last 30 minutes move quickly from one unoriginal plot point to another.
Where The Age of Adaline is at it’s most disappointing though is how it never really goes too deep in exploring the psychological affects of never aging. It appears to be more concerned with the physical affects of it, such as always having to flee from a relationship and while this works when it comes to the coming of age storyline, the detrimental affects Adaline’s condition can have on her are given little detail. It would certainly be a tragic condition, which needs to be felt and made clear for the film to be fully effective.
Grade: C
Review written by Brad Shawgo. Visit his blog, ShawGoesToTheMovies, for more great film reviews and movie posts.
Published on 6/2/2015 10:41:56 PM