Film Review: Our Souls at Night (2017)
This heartfelt drama tells the story of Louis (Robert Redford) and Addie (Jane Fonda) who have both lived alone in neighbouring houses for many years. One day Addie proposes that they begin sleeping together platonically as a means to keep each other company, to give each other a break from the lonely nights. It is an adaptation of the book of the same name by Kent Haruf.
Redford and Fonda are the heart of the film and they both give subtly brilliant performances, their relationship beginning awkwardly and becoming more natural as the film progresses, something they convey with the panache you'd expect from two Hollywood veterans. The conversations here and the way Addie and Louis reminisce about the past feels real, affecting and in no way mawkish.
The film is never rushed, scenes are allowed to breathe, and the aforementioned conversations allowed to go on beyond the plot-points they need to cover, making us feel like a fly on the wall to this compelling relationship. The whole film is shot with an admirable delicacy, creating a great sense of place with its stunning outdoor shots and yet stepping back to let the actors do the talking when required. It feels as mature and measured as the protagonists at its centre.
Director Ritesh Batra (The Lunchbox, The Sense of an Ending) has created a really touching film about old-age, family, and above all companionship. A Netflix release that everyone should watch.