The Age of Adaline

I really wanted to love this movie. The good news is I didn't hate it. I can't tell you how many writing contest entries I've read that start with a car accident that (without plausible explanation) propels the heroine through time. This wasn't that - exactly - but similar. And how she stopped aging was explained (narrated), which leads me to the next problem.

I don't care to have someone narrating the movie to me. Irks me. I mean, I liked it in The Princess Bride when Peter Faulk's character reads to his grandson. That's fine. Clever even. And parts of The Age of Adaline were also clever. But not the first ten minutes or the last ten minutes where the movie was explained to me like I'm an idiot. And I never once got the chills. You know, the chills.

I enjoyed Michiel Huisman as Ellis. He's tall, dark and handsome. Likable. Sexy. I enjoyed him on HBOs Treme and Nashville. I guess he's on a little show called Game of Thrones. I've never seen it. Harrison Ford was okay. Cathy Baker is always good, in my opinion. I thought Amanda Crew was a little gem as Kikki.

And then there's Blake Lively. I glanced at her bio. I've heard of her, of course. I guess I saw her in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but don't remember her. No, I've never seen Gossip Girls - sorry. Blake (aka Adaline) was consistently melancholy throughout the entire movie. And men (in the movie) seem to be drawn to that sort of thing. Not sure why. She was sooooooo serious, as well as seriously sad for being ageless and beautiful and rich, apparently. Sure, immortality comes with its drawbacks, but come on, cut loose, be happy.

Some stuff just didn't add up for me or make sense, which is fine if the movie is good enough to allow me to suspend my disbelief. The romance wasn't there for me, I just didn't buy it. It was love at first sight for him, but to me, she didn't have the personality for it to be true love. Visually, it was a lovely movie. A well-made movie with pretty people. A modern day fairytale. Maybe there's something wrong with me, but I just didn't love it.

Previews - Love & Mercy with John Cusack - gave me the chills.