Critics Consensus: The Age of Adaline is Charming But Uneven

Plus, Little Boy is earnest but corny, Ex Machina is Certified Fresh, and Orphan Black is as mind-bending as ever.

by Tim Ryan | April 23, 2015 | Comments

This week at the movies, we’ve got an immortal twentysomething (The Age of Adaline, starring Blake Lively and Michiel Huisman), a spirited child (Little Boy, starring Emily Watson and Jakob Salvati), and an intelligent robot (Ex Machina, starring Alicia Vikander and Domhnall Gleeson). What do the critics have to say?

Depending on who you are, The Age of Adaline is the kind of movie that’s sure to elicit either tears or groans. Critics say that while this magic realist romantic fantasy boasts stellar production values and strong performances from Blake Lively and Harrison Ford, its tonal and narrative inconsistencies keep it from fully cohering. Lively stars as the title character, who, through a supernatural occurrence, has remained 29 for nearly a century. In order to keep her secret, she’s lived a mostly solitary life, but a love-struck suitor unwittingly brings Adaline’s strange state of being to light. The pundits say that if you’re willing to go with it, The Age of Adaline casts a bittersweet spell — though it may be a bit too saccharine for some tastes.

Little Boy

26%

Little Boy is a well-meaning, warm-hearted tale about the dangers of prejudice and the power of faith. Unfortunately, critics say it’s also hopelessly corny, heavy-handed, and dramatically dull, despite the best efforts of a top-notch cast. When his father is taken as a prisoner of war while fighting in the Pacific, seven-year-old Pepper Busbee (Jakob Salvati) is beside himself with heartache. Refusing to give up hope, the oft-bullied Pepper sets out to will his father home through a combination of faith and good deeds. The pundits say Little Boy is earnest but predictable, hammering home its message without an ounce of subtlety. (Check out this week’s Total Recall, in which we count down Watson’s best-reviewed movies, and watch our video interview with Salvati and co-star Michael Rapaport.)

Ex Machina

92%

A psychological thriller for an age of runaway technological advancement, critics say Ex Machina is thoughtful, chilling science fiction with a breakout performance from Alicia Vikander. Domhnall Gleeson stars as a computer wiz who’s tasked by his company’s reclusive CEO with testing the artificial intelligence of a remarkably lifelike robot (Vikander); in doing so, our hero begins to question the nature and limits of humanity. Critics say the Certified Fresh Ex Machina is visually striking, emotionally resonant, and deeply unsettling.

What’s On TV:

Season three of Orphan Black (82 percent) lures viewers into an expanded series mythology while continuing to highlight Tatiana Maslany’s multiple standout performances.

Building upon a strong season opener, “The House of Black and White” (96 percent) increases the intensity by calling upon some major characters to make some tough decisions.

“The Forecast” (88 percent) points the way toward the Mad Men finale with typically sharp storytelling and a renewed focus on the show’s female characters — and concern for Don’s future.

Also opening this week in limited release:

Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock And Roll, a documentary about the pop music scene that thrived in the days before the Khmer Rouge, is at 100 percent.
Emptying The Skies, a documentary about the poaching of European songbirds, is at 100 percent.
Kurt Cobain: Montage Of Heck, a documentary assemblage of home movie footage and audio recordings of the iconic Nirvana frontman, is at 97 percent.
Kung Fu Killer, starring Donnie Yen in an action thriller about a wrongly convicted martial arts instructor who’s released from prison to help police track down a killer, is at 89 percent.
The Great Museum, a documentary about the inner workings of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, is at 71 percent.
The French import 24 Days, a drama based on the true story of a man who was held for ransom by religiously-motivated kidnappers, is at 67 percent.
Russell Crowe‘s The Water Diviner, a drama about a man who searches for his sons in the aftermath of one of World War I’s bloodiest battles, is at 61 percent (watch our video interview with Crowe here).
Adult Beginners, starring Rose Byrne and Nick Kroll in a comedy about a flailing entrepreneur who finds himself caring for his siblings’ children, is at 43 percent (check out Kroll’s Five Favorite Films here).
After the Ball, a comedy about a woman who disguises herself as a man in order to save her father’s clothing business from her stepmother’s schemes, is at 22 percent.
Blackbird, starring Mo’Nique and Isaiah Washington in a drama about a devoutly religious teenager in the closet, is at 20 percent.
The Forger, starring John Travolta and Christopher Plummer in a drama about an art forger whose early release from prison lands him in the debt of a sinister underworld figure, is at zero percent.
Courteney Cox‘s Just Before I Go, starring Seann William Scott and Olivia Thirlby in a comedy about a suicidal man who returns to his hometown to confront his old enemies, is at zero percent.