Review of The Age of Adaline (2015) by Jack H — 25 Sep 2016

Interesting high concept, that popular idea of immortality, though sketchily explained. Adaline is given a good framework from which to develop by Blake Lively, aloof, mistrusting and stoic, though the writers have not done her justice in terms of allowing the growth and metamorphosis of her character.

A single conversation with her grown daughter, in almost sitcom timing, is enough to change a century of commitment to avoiding love only broken once. No attempt is made to explain the fact that in one lifetime she manages to only fall in love twice, with both Father and his Son in two different continents and 50 years apart.

Unfortunately there are any number of devices available to explain this for the viewers but the writers must have written many dozens of other pages of fill and neglected a few decent plausibility breaks.

Early editing and less sentimentality would have made this a ripping yarn. Taking the story to 2035, when we somehow understand her condition would also have been a prerequisite for a hit but there was nothing but a throwaway line in the first ten minutes and not enough promise at the end for a decent sequel.