The Age of Adaline is the sappy romance that we’ve been waiting for. It almost perfectly follows the typical romance equation. Because of this, Adaline doesn’t have universal appeal. It falls into a particular niche that only certain people can appreciate.

The Age of Adaline tells the story of Adaline Bowman, a woman who is eternally youthful. For almost eighty years Adaline has remained the precarious age of 29 and has been on the run in order to hide her secret. Blake Lively plays Adaline Bowman and Adaline is kind of a boring person. She has hidden remarkableness, but she doesn’t really let it show. This makes logical sense with the character (not wanting to make waves), but it’s not the most tantalizing aspect. Michiel Huisman is Ellis Jones, the love interest. Huisman as the leading man was a nice choice as he brings a nice feel to the film. Along with Harrison Ford (who plays his father), they bring a warmth to Adaline.

The movie tries to add an aspect of magical realism, by trying to explain the reason behind Adaline’s eternal youth, but just the way the film is shot gives it a magical quality. There are no strong emotions associated with any part of the movie. Instead, it feels like you’re frozen in this new version of the world and it feels calmer and has a general feeling of wellness attached to it. It moves at an odd pace; not quick enough to be full of action nor slow enough to be defined as a slow burn. It’s more like a snap shot of Adaline’s life, where the audience got lucky enough to enter at a time where something relatively interesting was happening. Adaline isn’t an innovative or groundbreaking film, but it has this undeniable quality that makes you feel good after watching it.