Age of Adeline is a Romantic Fantasy Drama that was released in 2015. I had the pleasure of watching it not long after, and I have been yearning to write a review about it ever since.
It was cowritten by Salvador Paskowitz and J. Mills Goodloe. Goodloe also did the screenplay for romantic films like ‘The Best of Me’, ‘The Mountain Between Us’, and the more recent teen romantic comedy, ‘To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You’. The young Director, Lee Toland Kreiger, who is known for his works with romantic comedies, was only about 32 years old at the time of directing this movie. I must say, I was really impressed.
Blake Lively plays Adaline Bowman, a beautiful and sophisticated woman who was born on New Year’s Day in 1908. Unfortunately, soon after her marriage and subsequent childbirth, her husband died in an accident. Her story really begins less than a year after; at the age of 29. Driving though a blizzard one night, she crashes her car and somewhat dies in a freezing lake. That is, until she was suddenly struck by lighting and supernaturally revived. This phenomenon rendered her ageless, and so Adaline stays the youthful and beautiful age of 29 for over three quarters of a century.
For how many years can you remain 29 before people start to wonder and get suspicious? Well, when two FBI agents try to forcefully take Adaline in to be scientifically studied, she manages to escape and, consequently, her life on the run begins. She constantly changes her life, her name, and her address according to the era. Only her daughter, Fleming (Ellen Burstyn), who continues to age even past that of her mother’s, knows who Adaline is and where she is at any given period.
During the decades that go by, Adaline travels, learning many cultures and languages. She metamorphoses into a learned, classy, and refined woman with a certain grace that came with wisdom. For her age, it was remarkable. It all added to her beauty, and this is what Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman) sees when he meets Adaline at a News Year’s party in the present year.
Adaline had tried to avoid love over the many years, knowing that there was no future in it. No one, apart from her daughter, could know her secret. Intermittent flashbacks in the film reveal a strong past love that would have led to an engagement, had she not given it up, asking instead, that the cab driver keep driving and not stop. Now she had to fight her attraction to Ellis and evade his pursuit of her.
Charming and handsome Ellis is smitten. He wants Adaline and he wasn’t going to give up, despite her attempts to push him away. Finally, she decides to give herself a chance at love and gives in. Little did she know that agreeing to take a trip with him to his family home to celebrate his parents’ 40th wedding anniversary was going to be a shocking weekend of revelations. As it turns out, Ellis’ father, William Jones (Harrison Ford) is none other than the past love that she gave up decades ago. How this all plays out is the true beauty of the film.
Blake Lively shows off her acting prowess in this movie. One of her best, if not her best performance ever. She embodied Adaline with remarkable style, poise, and elegance. She was Adaline! No one else could have played that part. Not to forget super actor, Harrison Ford, and his ability to express deep and complex emotions. He certainly did it well here, taking my mind back to the best film of the many incredible ones I have ever seen him star in– 1991’s ‘Regarding Henry’.
Everything, and I mean everything about this film is beautiful. It is deeply romantic with that lure of the fantastical; it just pulls at your heart strings. Great directing, Kreiger! I would also like to give kudos to the narrator, Hugh Ross. It was such a soothing and peaceful, yet warm and interesting film to watch. The soundtrack, the cinematography, the changing of the times... simply incredible work! A very very beautiful, lovely film. I would rate it 10 out of 10.
It’s surprising how many people haven’t seen this film, and my question is: what’s your excuse?? I would love to tell you how it ends, but I’m hoping you will actually get to watch it yourself 😉
See trailer below.
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