The Age of Adaline

Dir: Lee Toland Krieger

2015

****

It's fair to say that there aren't that many films that fall into the romantic sci-fi fantasy category, so it's probably not saying much when I proclaim The Age of Adaline to be one of the best of the genre. It's somewhat of an oddity really, a basic sci-fi fantasy idea explored quite wonderfully, albeit with questionable plot at times. Adaline, the main character of the title, was born on Jan first 1908. In 1937, while driving home in the dark, it began to snow, a freak occurrence in San Francisco, she lost control in the dense blizzard and drove into a river. She drowned and her heart stopped. Luckily for her, a bolt of lightning hit the river and, as the narrator explains to the viewer, Adaline is brought back to life due to a scientific anomaly, of which won't be discovered or understood until the 2030s. Not only is Adaline alive but because of science, her body no longer ages. The Age of Adaline is a suggestion of what it would be like if you reached twenty-nine and suddenly stopped getting older. The film explores how one would keep such a secret, how it would affect one’s life and points out the benefits and misfortunes of such a life. One of the most touching aspects of the film is how Adaline interacts with her daughter, who is now in her 80s. It is incredibly touching but never overcooked or forced in any way. This is down to a great script and the excellent performance from Blake Lively in the title role. It's a romance, and it's a good one, but personally I would have liked to have seen more of just Adaline's character and how she saw the world 100 years after she was born. There is a brilliant twist to the story later on in the film, with Harrison Ford giving his best performance in years. It's a rather sophisticated film for what it is. However, I hurt my sockets from severe eye rolling when the films conclusion was revealed. It's such a touching and wonderful fantasy and the nonsensical science fiction element was forgivable at the beginning of the film but the idea was pushed a little too far at the end. A shame but it certainly didn't ruin the film. Even if the fantasy element doesn't appeal, the brilliant performances from Blake Lively and Harrison Ford make it more than worth a watch. 2015's sleepy gem, maybe even a future classic, I certainly think it deserves to be anyway.