"The Age of Adaline"

Having watched "Big Game", and a load of tosh, here we have the second film from my double bill, and another load of tosh. And yet it is still a highly enjoyable and entertaining movie.

Adaline was born at the beginning of the 20th Century and given that we are now in the current day, she looks as good now as she did 80 years ago. The reason being is that having been involved in a car accident, she then finds herself being struck by lightning. A remarkable thing happens in that her body stops ageing. To start with this causes very few problems, but as the years start to pass by, it becomes increasingly difficult for her to explain away the fact that she not getting any older. She is a Mother, and now the two are more like Sisters than Mother & Daughter. So she puts a plan into actio, as she has Federal Agents investigating her. She has up move away and start a new life, changing her identity, and leaving her Daughter to carry on her own life. So with that, every 10 years, she brings her current identity to an end, and moves on, to start again.

There are inevitable downsides to this way of life. She misses out on being present during her Daughters latter years, and can never be involved in a long term relationship. She had been close to someone, many years ago, but brought to an end, but things got really heavy.
She is once again getting ready to start another new life, when she meets Ellis. They have a couple of dates but Adaline is determined to move on. But Ellis is equally persistant, and over the course of time she forms quite the attachment to him.

For me. the key as to why the film is so likeable is that the characters are so well written, and equally well played by a great cast, especially main leads Blake Lively and Michiel Huisman. You do care about what happens to them, and those around them,. It is a wonderful quality that Lively has that makes you believe 100% that here is a woman who has lived throughtout the last 100 years or so.
It is also especially nice to see the likes of veterans like Ellen Burstyn (Flemming, Adaline's Daughter) and Harrison Ford (William, Ellis's Father) on screen, and must not forget Kathy Baker who also gives a great performance playing Ellis's mother.

I had a feeling it would be a good film, but like "Big Game", was very surprised how much I enjoyed it. The Mother relationship is at the heart of the movie, as much as the one between Adaline and Ellis. And provides for some moving moments.

Nice to see a mature movie, with strong characters and a great story........7 out of 10