Howard Schumann Not since "The Electric Horseman" in 1979 have we had the distinct pleasure of seeing two outstanding actors, Robert Redford ("Pete's Dragon"), now 81, and Jane Fonda ("Grace and Frankie," TV series), 79, working together in the same film. That situation has now changed with the release of Our Souls at Night, directed by Ritesh Batra whose recent film "The Lunchbox" received much critical acclaim. Adapted by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber from a novel by the late Kent Haruf, Our Souls at Night was shown at the Venice Film Festival then went directly to Netflix, a move that in today's multi-layered media environment is not reflective of the film's quality, but only its box office potential. Set in a fictional small town in Colorado close to the Rocky Mountains, two elderly neighbors, Louis Waters (Redford) and Addie Moore (Fonda) are widows whose days and nights are marked by loneliness. When the taciturn Waters hears a knock on the door and opens it to find a nervous looking Addie whom he barely knows, he knows that something unusual is about to happen. After much hemming and hawing, Addie tells him that that her nights are very long and that she needs companionship, someone to converse with. Louis is surprised to say the least when she blurts out the question, "Would you be interested in coming over and sleeping with me?" Of course, as she explains, she means sleeping as in a "sleep-over" rather than sleeping as in - well - sleeping together. After a few minutes of interminable silence, he tells her that he needs time to think it over as if he is considering buying her wicker chair. After his daily breakfast meeting with a group of fellow members of the "seen better days" club led by Dorlan Becker (Bruce Dern), he calls Addie to tell her that he has decided to come over that evening. Carrying pajamas and toothbrush in a paper bag like a child heading off to school, he stealthily makes his way to the back door and knocks quietly to make sure that no one in the gossipy town will have a subject to discuss. To say that their first night together was awkward is like saying that there are a few mountains in Colorado. With nothing to talk about except the weather (always a scintillating topic of conversation), the new friends quickly turn out their lights and turn over in bed, most likely thinking that maybe this was not such a good idea after all. Things loosen up after a few nights, however, and they begin to share with each other some painful memories about past relationships and how it affected their children. Louis speaks of regrets about how he left his wife and daughter for an affair with a young teacher and the sadness of his wife's last years fighting cancer. Addie reveals that her daughter was killed in an accident and how that changed her relationship with her son Gene (Matthias Schoenaerts, "Red Sparrow"). Since Louis' circle of elderly agitators seem to already know what is going on, the two decide to throw caution to the wind and walk together in town openly, even going to lunch together at a nearby restaurant. Once Gene and Louis' daughter Holly (Judy Greer, "The 15:17 to Paris") become involved, however, the drama intensifies. When Gene tells his mother that his wife has left him, he brings his seven-year-old son, Jamie (Ian Armitage, "The Glass Castle") to her house, asking that she look after him until his wife returns. Noticing that the boy is struggling, Louis takes him to a dog shelter where they pick out a dog that Jamie is attached to. Building a train set together, going to a baseball game, and going on a camping trip cements their relationship, but fate has a way of intervening. Our Souls at Night is not a "chick flick" or a film that only those who are close to the end of life can appreciate. It is not only a perfect vehicle for Redford and Fonda but a film that will strike a responsive chord with anyone regardless of age who is ready to risk discovering what more life has to offer.

adambanksnz Almost nothing to recommend this film.Utterly pedestrian script. Jane Fonda thinks all she needs to do is constantly flutter her eyelashes and play with her grey wig. No emotion or any sign on any "chemistry" with RR. I've seen better performances from a broom handle.Redford acted better, but there was precious little for him to do. He looked utterly bored throughout (not surprisingly).The little boy thing (and dog) was just pure CHEESE - and totally clichéd.The border collie gets the single star for a superb, totally convincing performance ...This is Netflix doing the "lowest common denominator" thing,thinking all they need to do is rope in a couple of veterans and "job done". Hmmmm ...

latinfineart I really liked this film. It felt like it was an adult film. No stunts, no special effects. Just a heartwarming story of two lonely people way, way into the last nine holes of their lives.In a small town in Colorado, Addie Moore (Fonda) and Louis Waters (Redford) have been neighbors for decades but don't really know each other. That's why it strikes Louis, a widower, as odd when Addie, a widow, comes over one evening with a matter-of-fact request: "Would you be interested in coming over to my house sometime and sleeping with me?"It's not about sex, Addie adds - "I lost interest in that a long time ago," she says. Rather, it's about companionship, having someone to talk to and "getting through the night." Louis thinks it over and agrees.Their baggage, their apprehension about starting a new relationship and their knowledge that there isn't time to waste are enough, and them overcoming those issues is what propels the story.Mostly, the director Batra lets the well-worked chemistry Redford and Fonda share do the heavy lifting. The stars have made three movies together before this: as an escaped convict and his unfaithful wife in "The Chase" (1966), as an uptight lawyer and his free-spirit bride in "Barefoot in the Park" (1967), and as a broken-down rodeo star and a sassy journalist in "The Electric Horseman" (1979) - and in "Our Souls at Night," they still bring out in each other a warmth and an easygoing manner, as if they've always been and always will be like this.This is an endearing film. Kudos to Fonda, Redford and the other actors, who were uniformly good, and well directed.

Veteransson Our Souls at Night brings veterans Robert Redford and Jane Fonda together for a heart-felt movie, set in a small town in Colorado. The movie is directed by Ritesh Batra and based on the novel with the same name by Kent Haruf. Our Souls at Night opens with the widowed Addie (Fonda) knocking on widowed Louis' (Redford) door one night with a strange request: will you sleep with me? And by this she does not mean 'sleeping' but really, just sleeping. For the companionship. This of course shakes up the daily routine Louis is so used to. The opening shots show that he already accepted his story in this world to be over, he was not looking for nor expecting any change. But with Addie's request, Louis and she start a new chapter in their lives.The writers did not go looking for great obstacles and inciting events that could shake up their developing relationship. While great obstacles and events are needed for a movie to remain interesting, this movie somehow does not suffer from it. Now why is that? One reason is the focus of the story. Although Addie and Louis are somewhat older, the movie's focus is not on people acting old. The obstacles they face have (almost) never something to do with the physical complications of their age. Instead, the movie focuses on the emotional baggage people with a lifetime of experience and regrets carry. There is no place for big inciting events since they have already taken place over the course of their lives. Their developing relationship is no walk in the park either. They do face some obstacles, mainly in the from of Addie's son Gene (Matthias Schoenaerts). Another reason why this movie works without a high amount of tension or conflict is the acting. Redford and Fonda are superstars and, yet they portray their characters so brilliantly that they manage to make you forget you're watching Redford and Fonda. There's a lot of subtle, brilliant acting. By keeping it simple, the movie manages to deliver a remarkable story about being old and still being able to get a fresh start in your final stage on earth. It is a refreshing view on an elderly relationship and does not fall for useless clichés or unnecessary drama. That being said, while the movie succeeds in what it wants to be, it will not blow you of your socks. The movie does benefit from the simplicity of the story, but is however also limited because of it. The plot does not take any big risks and therefore, does not get the payoff such risks might deliver. You will absolutely want these old people to be happy, there is no doubt about that. But this is mainly thanks to Redford and Fonda's performances and not because of the story. The characters are better and more important than the plot in this one and that is what stops this movie from being perfect. You will root for these people because they are so human, not because the stakes are high.Our Souls at Night is thus a beautiful movie, told and performed with heart. It is a great one to get you away from the oversupply of Hollywood action and superheroes. You might finally get to feel something again with this one.