The Age of Adaline - Movie review #jpmn
• The Age Of Adaline (2015) -- Graceful characters in a uniquely complex, if unambitious romance, 7/10. WATCH full episodes of "Movie Night" -- ****** TWEET a review with the #JPMN hashtag, and have it featured! ~~ Movie Night Reviews ~~ Your host, and film critic Jonathan Paula reviews everything from opening day releases, recent DVDs, upcoming trailers, and classics from years past. Each "Quick Review" is an excerpt from a full episode, which airs on the Jogwheel l channel every week. ~~ Watch More Reviews ~~ Browse By Year ----- ****** Browse By Rating --- ****** Trailer Reviews ------- ****** ~~ Other Channels ~~ Jogwheel (Main channel) --- ****** Jon's World (2nd channel) -- ****** The Microwave Show --------- ****** uStream Live Shows ---------- ****** ~~ Social Media & Merch ~~ Twitter ---------------------------- ****** Facebook ----------------------- ****** Instagram ----------------------- ****** Patreon -------------------------- ****** Letterboxd ---------------------- ****** T-Shirts -------------------------- ****** ~~ Technical Credits ~~ Created by ------ Jonathan Paula Camera ---------- Panasonic HMC-150 Microphone ----- Sennheiser ME 66 Software --------- Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2014 Computer ------- ****** • Jogwheel Productions © 2015 • ~~ Review Script ~~ Released on April 24, 2015 - this romantic fantasy film from director Lee Toland Krieger is, commendably, an original story written for the screen. The $25 million dollar production stars the classically beautiful Blake Lively as the titular character, a mature, sophisticated, and nurturing soul perpetually stuck in a 29 year old body. After a freak car accident renders her immortal, she's forced to go through the twentieth century in seclusion, always careful no one discovers her remarkable secret. Lively's show stopping beauty and impeccable fashion sense is matched only by her sage wisdom, reflecting on the limitations of her life, "Love is not the same when there’s no growing old together. Without that, love is just heartbreak." The tragedy of her ageless curse hits home when we learn that her only friend is a blind women, and how her own daughter must introduce herself as an elderly grandmother. When a routine traffic stop threatens to reveal her true birth year, Adaline must abandon her life and relocate under a new name, a painful process she repeats every decade. Her outlook on secrecy changes though when she falls in love with the ruggedly handsome and charming Michiel Huisman. Their playful, yet contentious flirting turns into serious relationship, but one that isn't entirely convincing. It's the introduction of Harrison Ford as a decades-old boyfriend late in the story that really makes things interesting. Long known for his leading roles as action heroes, his choices recently have been a refreshing change of pace; as his diminishing skill-set is forcing him into more varied projects. But these smaller, character-oriented roles have allowed him to really shine with some nuanced performances. His integral part here showcases real depth and emotion, and although it might be creepy seeing the 72-year-old gaze longingly at a women some 40-years younger than him, their scenes together are easily the film's strongest. Conversely, the eventual developments with Huisman seem like a bittersweet consolation prize. "The Age Of Adaline" skillfully glides between time periods and flashbacks with ease, artistically framing the San Francisco scenery and talented actors with an ethereal quality. Rob Simonsen's quiet and romantic score winds its way throughout as an unnamed narrator's soft-spoken voice provides critical expositional clues. At 110 minutes, the story is a bit slow setting up the dominoes that come crashing down in the final act. As a result, I feel like a lot more could have been done with this concept, especially with the ending; which seemed like a rushed deus ex machina resolution to what was a very intriguing conflict. Despite this disappointingly narrower focus, Krieger doesn't make any major missteps, and the resulting product is a comfortable and pleasant experience worth enjoying on a date night. "The Age Of Adaline" has graceful characters in a uniquely complex, if unambitious romance. I thought it was a COOL film. ~