The Age of Adaline

The Age of Adaline

The Curious Case of Adaline Bowman

For some people, the span of time between now and when their umbilical cord was cut, is a trivial matter. While for a handsome few, age is they’re be-all and end-all. The oldest living persons are even recognized through newsbytes, commendations  and even pilgrimages. What is universal though is that at some point in our lives, we all had a curious tingling to this three-letter word. Age, after all, is a marker for mortality, the sharp divide between man and god. Since the dawn of humanity, those who delve into the arts dabble of this concept whether it be of religion, of mysticism, or even of science fiction. The quest for an elusive elixir, and the elaboration of the life and times of the immortals have been subject of a number of classics. In real life, emperors have conquered lands in search for true transcending power, only to be betrayed for their manic desires. With a multitude of stories revolving on this theme, what then would The Age of Adaline bring to the table?

The Age of Adaline tries to be its own in the subgenre of immortal protagonists. On the forefront, it is a fledgling romance between a certain Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively), who walked the earth for more than a hundred years, and Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman), a successful philantrophist. With both being physiologically stable and economically secure, there is not much grand forces that would take them apart except for Adaline’s gift, which she sees as an affliction.

READ MORE: Timeless love story and fashion in The Age of Adaline'The Age of Adaline' flexed muscles at the box office

At first it doesn’t feel like a film strictly about love. Through montages and flashbacks, sometimes with an unusual tone of Hugh Ross‘ narration akin to wildlife documentary, we see Adaline fit in different eras. The Age of Adaline explores the joys, but mostly anguish of being eternally young in our world. As such, the tone used in narrating decorative plot points and the probablistic pseudoscience behind Adaline’s continued existence make sense. The seemingly inconsequential encounters displayed early on serve their purpose in the end. Everything comes full circle for a person whose life trajectory is a never-ending line. They don’t feel forced as they have been highlighted early on without being too obvious through an intricate picturesque and time-bound production design, hair and make-up. Already abundant with class, these details are further enriched with David Lanzenberg‘s diverse endearing cinematography from close-ups to an often-used but never dull overhead shots of Adaline’s psychological strength in spite of her solace. Truly, the beauty of The Age of Adaline lies more on its enamoring visuals to cover J. Mills Goodloe and Salvador Paskowitz‘s hesitant writing to peek further and deeper into a century of unique isolation and incomparable joy.

'The Age of Adaline' flexed muscles at the box office

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READ MORE: Harrison Ford connects mysterious pieces of time in The Age of Adaline 

Continuing the visual storytelling, Adaline’s relationships, from her dog, to daughter, current and former lovers are exquisitely delivered thanks to most of the cast’s succint delivery, most valuable of which is actress Blake Lively. With meager lines and a screenplay banked on fine actions and emotions, it is a treat to see Lively be more than a model for her fashionable outfits. Her tribulations felt quite authentic, able to keep in the various facets of her character especially on screen with physically older thespians Ellen Burstyn and Harrison Ford. Together, Ford and Lively have quite the connection that it’s a shame the former was only present for the latter half. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Huisman, whose uninteresting character he plays could have factored to the uninspiring one-note performance.

Story-wise, the film plays it safe, skidding through the most natural and logical scenarios this magical realism would offer. Nevertheless, with its intricate picturesque display and an expressive cast, you can invest two hours of your life in The Age of Adaline.

The Age of Adaline is currently showing in Philippine cinemas nationwide from Pioneer Films.

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