Review of The Age of Adaline (2015) by Patrick L — 19 Aug 2015

"This romantic fantasy is silly but "The Age of Adaline" benefits from the performances by Blake Lively and Harrison Ford".

Movie Review: The Age of Adaline.

Date Viewed: May 4 2015.

Directed By Lee Toland Krieger (Celeste & Jesse Forever).

Written By J. Mills Goodloe and Salvador Paskowitz.

Starring: Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Harrison Ford, Ellen Burstyn, Kathy Baker, Amanda Crew, Anthony Ingruber, Anjali Jay,.

Lynda Boyd, Richard Harmon, Barclay Hope,.

Chris William Martin and Lane Edwards.

"The Age of Adaline" is a silly romantic fantasy about a 107-year-old woman who still looks like a young woman in her late 20's.

I haven't considered Blake Lively to be a talented actress but she shines in this surprisingly good romance from director Lee Toland Krieger (Celeste & Jesse Forever). The biggest surprise in "The Age of Adaline" is Harrison Ford. He plays an older man who was once very close to Adaline.

Adaline Bowman (Lively) was born in the early 1900s, she got married, she had a child and she became a widow after her husband died while repairing the San Francisco bridge. Soon, something unexplainable happens to Adaline. While driving to her parents' house, Adaline gets into a car crash and dies in freezing water. Somehow, a lighting strike brings Adaline back to life but she will remain 29 years old forever. Adaline's mysterious condition causes her to change identities and spend the rest of her life running.

In present day, Adaline reignites her love life as she meets a charismatic philanthropist named Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman, from "Game of Thrones"). Her only child, Flemming Prescott grew up to be Ellen Burstyn and Adaline gets a shock when she meets Ellis' father William Jones (Ford). William was one of the men Adaline abandoned years ago. Flashbacks explain on how they meet, Adaline was having car trouble in England and William was a soldier who was studying medicine. They returned to America together, they fell in love, she pushed him to follow astronomy instead of medicine and she left him after they went hiking together. Why? Because he was going to propose to her.

The third act is a complete mess but "The Age of Adaline" benefits from the sharp performances by Blake Lively and Harrison Ford. Sure, "Adaline" is another Nicholas Sparks wannabe but it's way better than you think it's going to be.