The conceit endows Lively's regal air of distracted superiority with an intermittent pathos, but the director, Lee Toland Krieger, brings no identifiable perspective, and the screenwriters ... hardly tap a century's worth of material.
This is one of those movies that have you wondering: Long before the actors signed up and the locations were chosen and the sets were built and the filming began, how did someone not say, "Um, we have a big problem with this story"?
The Sun (UK)
December 30, 2015
It's a fascinating Benjamin Button-like premise and Lively shines in the lead, capturing the wisdom and weariness of someone over a century old. But it fails to explore what Adaline has done with her immortal life or the events of the 20th century.
The Age of Adaline ends pretty much how you'd expect and takes a little long getting there, but will appeal to those who enjoy their romances delivered with a touch of history, and a little magical realism.
Like Adaline, the film gives the sense of being somewhat uncomfortable in 2015, but while the movie makes a case for romanticizing the past, Adaline's story shows the limitations of detaching yourself from the present.
