Blake Lively is splendid in possibly her best role in her career so far.
Storyline: Adaline Bowman (b. 1908) loses her husband - the father to their only daughter - and is returning to her parents' place when there is snowfall, miraculously, in San Francisco. Her car, unfortunately, meets with a freak accident and she sinks fatally into deep waters... when lightning strikes her and not only brings her back to life, but also makes her stay 29, immortally! She sees people age around her and she also moves from one place to another, constantly, since she is also wanted by the FBI who would like to run some tests on her for her miraculous youthfulness. Amidst all this, she loses her loves ones, one by one, including the men in her life, just like she lost her husband once. This pain causes her to shy away after being bitten once, until she meets Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman) at a New Year's Eve party and later at the library where she works. Will she give in to love this time? Or will she stay away from getting close to any man, as she doesn't feel comfortable in letting anyone know her secret of never ageing...
Ellen Burstyn is the chosen one again, to play an older Fleming, Adaline's daughter and only child. By that, I mean that she was seen in a similar role recently, in "Interstellar", where she plays the older offspring as the story progresses.
Blake Lively is on a roll... she just delivered a baby in December last year. So, the shooting must have taken place earlier last year, in her first trimester or so...
Harrison Ford is impeccable. His feelings for his lost love, Della, his nostalgia, and his love for his wife of four decades - are emoted and enacted so naturally and beautifully, encapsulating the superstar in him. He is very pleasing to watch, and you sure wish he had more screen-space, for he appears only in the latter half of the movie.
Michiel Huisman is charming as the yearning lover and philanthropist.
The background narration, over Adaline's ageing freezing and over the accident scenes in the film are pretty "lively", no pun intended!
The length of the film is pretty good, too. But the strength is the theme of the story, the screenplay and the direction.
The weakness - it is predictable and doesn't really go anywhere. It does however seem too straight forward and predictable, and wish it had more twists or complexity.
My favourite dialogue from the film:
Adaline: Tell me something I can hold on to forever and never let go.
Ellis: Let go...
Watch it for Blake Lively, Harrison Ford and some fairytale storytelling. This one is purity personified and beautifully shot.
Storyline: Adaline Bowman (b. 1908) loses her husband - the father to their only daughter - and is returning to her parents' place when there is snowfall, miraculously, in San Francisco. Her car, unfortunately, meets with a freak accident and she sinks fatally into deep waters... when lightning strikes her and not only brings her back to life, but also makes her stay 29, immortally! She sees people age around her and she also moves from one place to another, constantly, since she is also wanted by the FBI who would like to run some tests on her for her miraculous youthfulness. Amidst all this, she loses her loves ones, one by one, including the men in her life, just like she lost her husband once. This pain causes her to shy away after being bitten once, until she meets Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman) at a New Year's Eve party and later at the library where she works. Will she give in to love this time? Or will she stay away from getting close to any man, as she doesn't feel comfortable in letting anyone know her secret of never ageing...
Ellen Burstyn is the chosen one again, to play an older Fleming, Adaline's daughter and only child. By that, I mean that she was seen in a similar role recently, in "Interstellar", where she plays the older offspring as the story progresses.
Blake Lively is on a roll... she just delivered a baby in December last year. So, the shooting must have taken place earlier last year, in her first trimester or so...
Harrison Ford is impeccable. His feelings for his lost love, Della, his nostalgia, and his love for his wife of four decades - are emoted and enacted so naturally and beautifully, encapsulating the superstar in him. He is very pleasing to watch, and you sure wish he had more screen-space, for he appears only in the latter half of the movie.
Michiel Huisman is charming as the yearning lover and philanthropist.
The background narration, over Adaline's ageing freezing and over the accident scenes in the film are pretty "lively", no pun intended!
The length of the film is pretty good, too. But the strength is the theme of the story, the screenplay and the direction.
The weakness - it is predictable and doesn't really go anywhere. It does however seem too straight forward and predictable, and wish it had more twists or complexity.
My favourite dialogue from the film:
Adaline: Tell me something I can hold on to forever and never let go.
Ellis: Let go...
Watch it for Blake Lively, Harrison Ford and some fairytale storytelling. This one is purity personified and beautifully shot.
Comments