Already drawn to the premise of this film, I had high expectations of it, and was particularly interested in seeing Blake Lively in the lead role as a 107 year old eternally young woman. From only seeing her work in Gossip Girl, which was adequate but not particularly memorable, I was keen to see what her acting range was like. Not only did Lively impress me, but the film did also, surpassing my expectations.

The Age of Adaline is not only visually beautiful, (props to cinematographer David Lanzenberg) but the story is also. Yes, this is a romance film, but the evocative story raises questions from the viewer about life, death, and love. Michiel Huisman is great in his role as a sensitive romantic who yearns to be close to and understand Adaline - well done to the writers for creating a male romantic lead who isn't unrealistically perfect and cliché. Harrison Ford impressed me greatly, especially in his scenes with Lively, so much so that I was brought to tears through a mere look. Ellen Burstyn as Flemming provided a charming voice of reason for the protagonist. The score was also wonderfully done, making the emotional scenes all the more powerful, and the costume designer did very well in allowing the audience to fill in the time blanks without knowing the era through the narrated dates.

Overall, a beautifully crafted film with a wonderful story and powerful performances that will completely captivate the viewers.

As I'm the romantic type, it would be hard for me to keep being objective. I will also avoid peeling some onions to not make this any harder.

Of course it's not the first time a movie is focused on the forever young theme. It's actually becoming redundant and to be frank not always beautifully used as it should be.

But Adaline is a good exception and this beautiful story will let you shed some tears and give you a warm feeling that life has many beautiful things to offer so we have to enjoy every opportunity given to our eyes. Of course it's not as powerful as Titanic or Gone with the Wind but it is without a doubt one of the best movies I've seen this year.

The main reason is probably Blake Lively. She is illuminating in this movie and we could feel that she owns Adaline throughout the story. She's always in the right tone, the right emotion and she transported me throughout the movie. The rest of the cast is doing great too especially Harrison Ford who I was surprised to see in that kind of movie. This is proving me how great and talented this actor is. He gave to this old man haunted by his past a real deal of emotions.

So here it is. Now let me empty that brand new tissue box next to me and wish you a nice ride in Adaline Land.

This movie touched me personally at a number of levels, because I lived in San Francisco, "the one that got away" looked a lot like B.L. and my (very happy) marriage is like the one H.F. portrays. I found B.L. hauntingly beautiful, and this story a tapestry of feelings unfolding; especially her surrender versus flight. Her encounter with H.F. from out of her past is powerful for both characters. And I thought the resolution of her immortality was quite a pleasant surprise that made me smile after being teary-eyed most of the movie. The last few minutes of the movie are especially beautiful if you are a romantic like me. This is a sweet movie that you will really enjoy.

Excellent performances, a truly poignant story. See it, you won't be disappointed.

Director Lee Toland Krieger wisely speeds through the scientific mumbo-jumbo, treating it as the least-interesting aspect of this tale. Instead, he focuses on the relationship fallout of Adaline's predicament. It's a disarmingly affecting film, and very sad at points. A rumination on loneliness. Cinematically, Krieger serves up numerous arching, overhead shots and slow-motion sequences. This coupled with the various time periods tackled gives the picture a buoyant sense of scope.

Particularly memorable in this is Harrison Ford. After stiff and stagey efforts in movies such as "42," Ford delivers a beautifully conflicted performance as a man trying to reconcile his past.

Highly recommended.

No wise man ever wished to be younger." Jonathan Swift Walking into the cinema... Intrigueing is the word that comes to mind with The Age of Adaline. It is hard to categorise this film. Is it fantasy, a romance, a philosophical exercise, or a combination of them all? Overall rating: 3.5 stars Cinematic value: 3 stars Big Questions value: 4 stars What would you do if you were to remain 29 years of age for the rest of your life? Some might think that this would be ideal, while others would consider this to be a horrifying experience. This is the life of Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively). Through a series of fantastic phenomena, she has remained as a 29 year old for eight decades. She has to experience a life of solitude and separation, because she cannot age with those that she is closest to in her life. Her life is veiled in secrecy, until she meets Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman), a philanthropist who ignites her passion for life and unknowingly he is a link to her past. What seems to be an innocent weekend away, becomes a crossroads for the truth and a chance for her to decide what she will do with the rest of her life. I will admit it, a good romance is a joy to experience. Romances may not be my favourite genre, but they have their place in cinematic history. The Age of Adeline will not win awards for groundbreaking film making, but it does fill a void in this year's celluloid offerings. It is a good, straight forward, romantic journey. Even with the fantasy element of eternal youth, this was a good film for the romantic at heart. It can get a bit sappy, but it is a satisfying tale. Indie director Lee Toland Krieger (Celeste and Jesse Forever) is able to incorporate a level of geekiness to satisfy any male audience members without sacrificing the primary storyline. His measured style develops a believability of this inventive story. Kreiger hearkens back to the beautiful romances of bygone eras, where subtlety and magnificent cinematography aid in delivering a beautiful romance. With the same level of measured performance, Blake Lively is excellent as the lead. She portrays the melancholy of a woman who lives with the mind of an elderly woman trapped in a perpetually young body. She allows herself to fall for Ellis, who is an old soul in a young man's body. Huisman brings a depth of character that makes this relationship right for both of them. One of the challenges of decade jumping films is the ageing of key characters, but Kreiger manages to make this element convincing. From the excellent supporting performances from Harrison Ford and Ellen Burstyn to the young actors that portrayed them in earlier decades, these characters were convincing and do not cause any distraction. Admittedly, the unfortunate component of watching this genre is the anticipation of sappiness or the inevitable tragedy. The Age of Adaline is a romance and contains some of these inevitable trappings, but due to the melancholy of the lead character and the control she has to shoulder for eight decades, this tale contains the bitter sweetness needed to move beyond the syrupy elements of many good hearted romances. Which leaves the verdict that Kreiger delivers an appealing and enjoyable romance. Before the opening sequence, this romantic adventure provides some of the best discussion points in recent cinema. In our era of desired eternal youth or the desire to merely appearing young, The Age of Adaline allows the audience to see the curse that this gift can be on anyone's life. It helps that Blake Lively is an attractive woman and manages to not experience any disfiguring accidents in her one-hundred and seven years. Which could cause a level of disbelief in the story, but does not become a consideration. Her pain seems to come from being attractive to most men, but she cannot allow herself to respond to their advances and she is only is allowed to be close with her dog, Reggie. Thoughts move from eternal youth to eternal life. Her melancholic spirit is shown in her awareness of this life that she remains trapped in. There has to be more as death occurs all around her, but she seems to be eternally trapped. She maintains a mental strength to not seek death as the answer to her pain, but death does add to the shadow that envelops her life. If that is not enough, Adaline has to lie and say farewell to all who come into her life. Her life is a moral conundrum and explains why she seems to be a shell of a woman throughout much of the film, until she is eventually allowed to tell the truth and live the life she never thought she could live. The Age of Adaline proves to be more than a romance. It is a philosophical journey packaged as this year's romance. Leaving the cinema: Is it ironic that a film of ageless beauty would be packaged in the film making style of yesteryear? This felt like a romance from the past, but will meet modern audiences with a fresh view on romance. This is a film that can bring out the romantic in anyone. It may have a sappy element, but it is satisfying and may make the date night dinner conversation deeper and more meaningful. Reel Dialogue: What are the bigger questions to consider from this film? 1. Would you want to be forever young? (Ecclesiastes 12:1, 2 Timothy 2:22) 2. Is an eternal soul better off being in heaven than on earth? (John 14:2, Philippians 3:20) Written by Russell Matthews based on a five star rating system

I have been looking forward to this film because of the story line. There are so many things to like about it - the flashbacks are well done and so believable. The costumes are so fun to watch. I do not think I have seen Blake Lively act before and I was clearly entranced by her performance. She carries the film so well and is so quiet and well done. I liked the actors - Michaeil Haisman is gorgeous and believable. Harrison Ford - so happy to see him in a movie again - and he is also believable as the father of Ellis. Elen Burnstyn is delightful. This story could have been presented in such a different manner - director Lee Toland Kreiger got it, and it is beautiful story-telling. I love the last scene.

If you can have Harrison Ford in your movie and you just introduce him almost an hour into the movie and it still works: You know you have a winner. Generally speaking the actors involved are phenomenal. It's a joy to watch them. Even if some situations seem a bit sugar coated (not too much though) and there is the occasional cliché in it, the science fiction element of it, still makes this very interesting.

You have a lot of things that are being "told" by looks. Which again is a big part of the acting talent at hand. You may be able to see where this is going (a few indicators early on, but even without them), but it's still a fun ride to have

Lee Toland Kriger's The Age of Adaline is a superb romantic thanks to its lead duo. Blake Lively is Adaline, the fair immortal who hasn't aged for several decades due to a severe car crash. She goes from relationship to relationship, from town to town, never settling down. A risky chance comes in the form of Ellis (Huisman), a stylish man whose intellect almost matches Adaline's own. Their encounters are warm, humorous and touching. Great support comes from Harrison Ford and Kathy Baker as Ellis' parents. Nudges of surrealism make TAoA vary from the usual romantic stories. Its voice-over, telling Adaline's 'miraculous' tale, is its only downfall. The unknown storyteller attempts to justify Adaline's conditions, but it comes across as a magnificent coincidence instead.

Ever wonder what its like not to age? I know I have, but I never can grasp all the factors that come about with immortality, especially in terms of love and relationships. Well my friends, we have the good fortune to get movies to give us a glimpse, and this weekend it is in the form of the Age of Adaline. This romantic drama has some potential to be an interesting romance story, but one must heed caution when watching trailers. So let's get started on this review shall we.

When I said interesting, I really meant it, as Age of Adaline is a unique story that centers on immortality. Our heroine doesn't drink some mystical potion, or undergoes some futuristic operation, but is somehow mutated by a rogue lightning bolt striking the river. All of this is explained in the first 10 minutes, in a hasty montage that sums up her life, which while time efficient left me a little robbed. I didn't want them to take forever, but a gradual build up of her life pre accident would have given this tale some more depth. Oh well it means we get to the romance aspect of the story faster. This film's relationships were a bit awkward for me, and a bit hastily developed at first. Her main romance goes nowhere due to fear, and only a few cute dates give us any hope something will happen. But then movie magic hits like lightning and expedites the romance to warp speed.

Regardless of how fast we get to it though, the romance in this movie is not the greatest. Sure it has its cute moments, emphasizing creativity and thoughtfulness in dating, with a little historical twist in it. There is some heartfelt, overemotional dialogue thrown in to feign love, but this movie didn't sell me in their relationship. However, Adaline's past runs interference into the relationship, and takes precedence over her life at hand. Fortunately what love we did see was not portrayed as superficial sex that many modern movies like to show.

The movie's main focus instead is about living life and pushing past your fears, especially ones addressing the concept of life. Age of Adaline has some really depressing moments and left me feeling down in the dumps. Many of the problems she flees from may get in your head, but do provide some good food for thought and philosophical discussions. Yet you will see some overdramatic, spanned out plot lines in this movie that start to grow stale.

Story aside, the editing of this movie is decent. Despite the 100 minute running tme, they still had some issues in terms of pacing and extra scenes. I felt the film cuts through a lot of Adaline's history, choosing to relive her moments via hastily done flashbacks and narrator monologues. Other times it drags on an issue, moving like molasses down a hill to get to the conclusion. As for extra scenes, well a few morbid parts could have been snipped out of the final cut, or at least replaced with some happier moments in the grand scheme of things. Despite all the extra fluff, one consistency is the camera work, which captures the emotion of our characters to illicit the intended response. Each age is well designed, makeup, costumes, and scenery all well combined to bring the world to life.

However the acting may be the component that this movie relies on the most. Blake Lovely, I'm sorry, Lively was indeed a beautiful addition to this movie in both acting and physical qualities. She carried a pristine poise that mimicked the personalities of the attitudes back then, and yet she was somehow humble. Lively shed a good amount of tears in this installment and put her somber emotions to good use, though I do wish they had given her character a broader emotional spectrum. Her beauty helps complete the picture and the outfits her wardrobe department designed will distract many from her monotone character. As for the other actors they do their parts well, but they are primarily supportive roles surrounding Adaline's story. Michiel Huisman does the job of a persistent romantic well. He's got that nice guys charm and humor that makes him likable, but he is a bit of a bore in terms of romantic interests. His backstory is flatter than a sheet of paper, and his struggles are practically absent in this tale, overshadowed by another relationship stuck in Adaline's head. As for Ford, his acting is just as strong as ever, but his role was limited in this tale, again constantly interrupted by chaotic slew of Adaline's mess.

Age of Adaline is a good drama that has a nice change of pace from the sea of mundane plots this genre has recently taken. Adaline's journey is interesting and emotional, but the romance aspect fell through for me. In addition the tale wasn't the most exciting thing, and combined with a depressing plot, was not a fun trip for me this weekend. Is it worth a trip to theater? Can't say it was, but might be good for a girl's night out soiree. My scores for Age of Adaline are:

Drama/Romance: 7.0 Movie Overall: 6.5

There were bits of emotional scenes in the film, and the ending just hit me SO HARD. I ended up crying so much at the end. 100% recommended, 'The Age of Adaline" is such a beautiful, and elegant film.

The Age of Adaline if not great, is a good movie that skims romance gorgeously. The concept though a mere fantasy is brought to life with a scientific outlook and a background narration that doesn't properly explore the how. The theme of the movie is romance and it tries to stay on it with Lee Toland Krieger's beautiful direction. The drama is great to watch owing to exceptional performances packed in by Harrison Ford and Blake Lively.

In the beginning things are a little mediocre, with the far-fetched concept and the narration that often returns at unwanted moments, where the director tries to show the past through a black and white film Adaline is looking at and tries to milk the resemblance. However, it becomes an exercise in futility and you wish the narration to just stop as it skims unnecessarily into the diegetic territory. But soon the story resumes its right course with the introduction of Ellis Jones played by Michiel Huisman. The spark that he brings with him complements Adaline well and the story gallops into something from nothing.

The moment Harrison Ford is introduced into the story the flick's luster refurbishes itself completely. Melodrama becomes grave and the tale becomes a tad dark. However, it soon gets wobbled up by mediocrity once again and Fordism disappears eventually.

What stops this movie from being great is its screenplay. There aren't many lines that explore profundity. Also, unlike David Fincher's dark aftermath, this movie doesn't explore the many phases of time. There is so much poetry to a woman that cannot age, and all goes to waste since Krieger was too busy exploring romance, and fails to milk the concept enough. What could have been a literally orgastic flick drenched in poetry, dies down into a bleak love story confined to a woman quandary.

The acting in this I cannot fault, though Adeline has a very low range of emotions given the material, her demure persona is a sign of the times in which she was raised. Perhaps it was the stiff upper lip if the early 20th century? I have never seen the male lead and he suited his part well.

I watched this with my mother and daughters ( sobbing continued on both sides with both generations for different reasons, but both centred around loss). I felt torn, suitably watching this with both generations, as to what part of the film affected me most. Those with children and aging parents will understand when viewing this.

The soundtrack was beautiful and the song played during the most emotive scenes is both beautiful and haunting enough for me to seek it out.

A beautiful movie, which is a little in the fantasy realm in its explanation behind the mortality/immortality aspect which makes it almost fairy tale like, but beautifully executed, and gorgeously told. See it with your mother or daughter, or like I did, both! Take your tissues!

I'd love to see a re-edit of this movie without the clunky format of a voice-over narrator.

First, the way it was voiced was just dull to listen to, especially paired as it frequently was with ponderous music.

Second, many times the narration interrupted the actors' momentum, which is a shame because the casting was A+

I tuned in BECAUSE the names in the cast promised quality and the concept sounded acceptable in a sci-fi movie.

Instead, they were wasted as The Voice interrupted to "tell not show" in defiance of every rule of visual story telling.

Honestly, does the director think his audience is so dim they'd not pick up those points with a few well placed edits or lines of dialogue? Did the director not trust viewers at all?

Honestly, what should have been a nine or ten, felt like a three. And only thinking about it, piece by piece, brought it up to the six I'm clicking on now.

Cast chosen are all well suited to the characters; they performed as if the story was theirs to share ~ A love story that will test the assumptions of viewers.

Enjoyable, well acted, well done. A plausible plot supported by characters and settings that make plausible more than probable.

Our preview audience appeared surprised at the chance to see a great cast in a simple story of love. Laughter because Harrison Ford holds a mirror to the lives of the audience, and we see ourselves. Blake Lively never gives us a hint of deviation from her assumed promise.

Lots of historical fact that interests rather than bores the mind, and never obscures the journey we're following with the characters. Michiel Huisman plays innocence with persistence, grace, and a smile; we laugh and cheer him on. Ellen Burstyn plays a subtle catalyst role. Kathy Baker always seems to pull the characters together, and none of the cast can take away our interest from the science and character of Adaline. I'll see it again, in the theater for the larger than life characters. Thanks crew, staff, and actors.

'THE AGE OF ADALINE': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

Romance flick, which spans 107 years, and tells the story of a woman who can not age. It stars Blake Lively in the title role; and it also costars Michiel Huisman, Harrison Ford, Ellen Burstyn, Amanda Crew and Kathy Baker. The film was directed by Lee Toland Krieger (who also helmed the 2012 romcom 'CELESTE & JESSE FOREVER') and it was written by J. Mills Goodloe and Salvador Paskowitz. It's an interesting, and somewhat involving, tale; but it's also pretty drawn-out, in places.

Adaline Bowman (Lively) was born on New Years Day, in 1908. She was married, widowed and had a daughter; by the age of 29. That's the same year Adaline died, in a freak accident, and came back to life; due to unusual snow, freezing waters and lightning. After that Adaline never aged another day; which made it very hard for her to engage in long lasting relationships. Nevertheless she attempts a romance with a man she meets at a New Years Party (Huisman). Things become especially complicated when she realizes she also knew his father (Ford). The whole time her daughter, Flemming (Burstyn), stays by her side.

The movie is beautifully shot, and I like the concept (a lot), I wish they would have done a little more with it though. It's actually quite dull, at first, but once Harrison Ford enters the film (in one of his best recent performances), the movie really gets a lot more involving, and moving. Lively is good in the lead as well, and the supporting cast is definitely adequate enough. I'm glad I watched it, but it's not one I'd hurry to watch again, anytime soon.

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First things first, let's establish which genre this film falls into. Don't be fooled by the fact that the plot has an underlying science fiction/fantasy element, or tries at times to be a costume drama, or borrows a bit of its style and approach from Benjamin Button. What we have here is a chick flick.

And not a very good one. The central story concerns a woman who for reasons unknown has become immortal and lives through the ages while all around her age and die. This brings with it complications and makes her unsure of how to live her life. This idea has been done before and more compellingly. It seems as though a man in this situation would put his time to good use chopping people's heads off in massive sword fights, with Queen blasting away on the soundtrack. Unfortunately Hollywood has decided that a woman in the same boat doesn't get very much to do, and none of it interesting.

The main character's immortal existence is spent staring sadly out of windows, and occasionally having boring sappy relationships with boring sappy men. And what plays over the soundtrack is most definitely not a kind of magic; instead it's dull, slow piano to make sure you're as depressed as the main character, with the occasional burst of Kenny G playing on dinner dates.

I'm conscious that I'm not really the target audience for this kind of film. But surely the audience for "women's pictures" (and women looking for decent parts in films for that matter), deserve more to look forward to than an eternity being miserable in nice clothes and deciding whether to have a boyfriend or not?