…despite a great cameo by Harrison Ford as Ellis’ father, The Age of Adaline quickly tapers off into a regular rom-com. I liked The Age of Adaline when much wasn’t happening— when she’s simply strolling and just being; when she’s looking at a park bench and remembering a 50-year-old memory and shedding a tear; when she’s looking at news and remembering an old tragedy that she was part of; when she’s looking at all her old pictures of King Charles spaniels.

When snow meets hypothermia meets electricity in The Age of Adaline, it always results in miracles. One such chance encounter leaves Adaline (Lively) with the gift of never ageing. However, that’s not the problem with The Age of Adaline — not at all. For explanation for the science of it has been conveniently left for “2035”

The twists in the plotline, impressive performances by the cast along with Adaline’s anxiety and the outcome of her decision, are what keep you hooked to the screen.

Blake Lively as Adaline is remarkable. She looks sophisticated and genuine with her clipped diction and gait.

Quite predictably, the script contrives an encounter with a dashing philanthropist (Huisman). Their budding romance forms the core of the heavy-handed fable. The maudlin voiceover narration replete with pseudo-scientific jargon serves no purpose. Worse, the narrative is bogged down by the frequent jumps back and forth to the dilemmas faced over the course of a century.

Given the performances, this should have been a delightful outing. If only, it wasn’t so strong on subtlety and so weak on progression.

…is a pleasant enough depiction of passion, if not a deep rumination on the perils of eternal youth.

…if you’re looking for a smart movie that goes into the morality and ethics of never ageing, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

Apart from an ending that seemed a tad stretched and the voiceovers that were unnecessary, this is an unusual and engaging saga of everlasting love.