Cinematic Releases: The Age of Adaline

We review this weekend's romantic offering, The Age of Adaline.

"Ok. Everybody laugh and
look stupid for the camera!!"

Blake Lively proves herself as a leading lady with exponential star quality in this weekend's theatrical release of The Age of Adeline. Spanning decades, the storyline weaves in and out of one era after another seamlessly, beautifully, and tastefully. A romantic drama, the film's emphasis is more on the drama and slightly less on the romance. Although an integral part of the plot, Adeline's love life is just one aspect of her remarkable life and its very unique circumstances. With almost a science fiction element, there is nothing that feels corny or even implausible about the story (although it is, actually quite farfetched).

Perhaps best known for her roll in the television series Gossip Girl, Lively embodies the title character, Adaline, with great elegance, sophistication, and an uncanny sense of timelessness. Considering the film's premise - a woman who doesn't age and the resulting ramifications in her personal life - Lively fits into the roll like, say, a tailor-made vintage gown. There is brilliant on-screen chemistry between Lively and the ruggedly handsome Dutchman Michiel Huisman (Game of Thrones), who plays Ellis, the man besotted by Adeline's otherworldly classic beauty and ethereal presence. Harrison Ford makes an appearance (playing the part of William Jones), coming across as maybe a bit too timeworn (admittedly, he is getting up there, but he'll always be Indiana Jones to me). Other noteworthy characters include Ellen Burstyn, as Flemming, and Kathy Baker in the role of Kathy Jones.

"Yeah, that's me. I crash planes,
fly the Falcon, and marry chicks
half my age. Whatever."

The Age of Adeline features romance that is the opposite of cloying, stunning cinematography, history, and a fantastical premise that somehow comes across as credible. I savored every moment, loving the scenery, Lively's gorgeous wardrobe, and the endearing antics of Ellis. Adeline's heartbreaking eternal loneliness, however, is what really takes center stage, and Lively does a suburb job in this portrayal. If I have any complaint, it's only that I would have liked to have seen more of what had transpired in Adaline's life up to the present day. I was very pleasantly surprised by The Age of Adeline.



- Alysia George