The Age of Adaline (2015)

Very disappointing...

Undescribable Perfection

That was an excellent one.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

We spend our lives scared of dying and growing old but in fact we find out at some point that fear of death pushes us forward. It's a wonderfully written story. Although I am not a fan of fantasy elements but since it shares a great point I enjoyed every single moment of the movie. I began watching it a year ago and I stopped it after 10 or 15 minutes since I just didn't find it interesting. However today it was intriguing and not at all boring which just proves me once again that we have to be in a certain state of mind to enjoy some movies. It reminded me a bit of Benjamin Buttons although it bears no similarity in the plot just the idea - different aging process or lack of it for that matter.

This time I haven't scrolled through the Reviews, except to notice that the first few gave high rankings. I have to admit I found this Netflix film only from my wish to see Michiel Huisman again after my first experience of him in The Otterman Lieutenant - as a lover of romanticism (and of Turkey) who can suspend political-historical factism for the sake of a moving story. I realise The Age of Adaline gave much evidence of high quality filmic skills, but the plot/story was not for me. Ellis is a lovely man, and apart from the unlikely coincidences, the meeting and pursuing of Adaline (Jenny) was effective enough. That's about it.I have no idea if the nerdy voice-over has any veracity or not, but it didn't convince me and I am never a target for fantasy-science fiction - even less so if it's dressed up as romance/love. (Maybe ET was an exception way back!) So sadly I have to give a low score. The logic from me is that I wouldn't recommend it to friends. Despite the fine acting, the sheer fantasy of it all didn't jell for me apart from a sort of satisfaction that it ended suitably.

My wife and I both thoroughly enjoyed this. We picked it up at Redbox one evening. The movie kept us glued to the TV until we finished it. Blake Lively is extraordinarily charming and complex in this. Harrison Ford gives one of his typically stellar performances and adds a lot of weight just where it's needed.I noticed quite a few things in terms of the script and plot that were well thought out (metaphors, etc.).This is a deep but enjoyable film that left me wanting more.

I had to stop watching because the "romance" was so offensive and unrealistic. A man finds our leading lady alone at a party and cracks a terrible joke, the type that only works for handsome leading men, and only in movies. She engages in a brief conversation, but gives him zero indication of interest and soon extricates herself from the situation. Later, after she steps into an elevator, a large hand stops the elevator door from shutting. It is our leading man, of course, and he gets on, and makes a crack about how that'll teach him for putting his hand where it doesn't belong. Ew. She's trapped on an elevator with a man who just made an icky sex joke. She continues to show zero interest. He follows her to her cab, and AGAIN puts his hand somewhere it doesn't belong, this time grabbing the open window to stop the cab and try again to get her phone number. She doesn't give it to him.But lo and behold, he shows up at her job. He's going to donate some valuable books, but not if she won't give him her phone number. WHAAT?? So finally she acquiesces and he takes her on a date. Guess where? To an underground tunnel. This is the point when I turned it off. Because what woman in her right mind would go alone with a man she barely knew, who has been nothing but sexually aggressive AND controlling, into a dark tunnel with no one around? And are we the viewers really supposed to find this romantic?No wonder why so many men appear to be so confused about sexual harassment. Here is a movie where a man sexually harasses a woman who shows no sign of interest, but oops! She was just playing hard to get! Men, this is not how it works in real life. For the record, if you have just met a woman and would like to get to know her, and she has shown no sexual interest in you, probably it is not a good idea to make a joke about putting your hand where it doesn't belong. And all those things that came after that? DON'T DO THOSE THINGS. What a turnoff.