Our Souls at Night
Susan Wloszczyna September 29, 2017
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“Our Souls at Night” sounds as if it should be a noir-ish plunge into existential darkness of ravaged psyches while bloodhounds balefully howl at the moon.
But that isn’t this movie, which is as comforting, low-key and unfussy as your grandmother’s tablecloth, the one she used every day and not just for company. Not that it plays it entirely safe. After all, you get to hear Jane Fonda ask Robert Redford, “Would you be interested in coming to my house to sleep with me?” An inviting proposal to be sure—although, in this case, sleep is not a euphemism for, um, you know what. She later adds, “It’s about getting through the night.” She is lonely. He is lonely. Why not?
A half-century ago, this legendary pair were a couple of kooky unshod newlyweds doing Neil Simon shtick in the marital lark “Barefoot in the Park.” Now they are reunited thanks to Netflix, which has been fond of Fonda ever since she and her “Nine to Five” buddy Lily Tomlin teamed up as unlikely roomies on the sitcom “Grace and Frankie.”
Just like widow Addie and widower Louis, neighbors in a cozy Colorado town whose paths have crossed now and then over the years, the two stars possess a certain ease and unspoken rapport when in each other’s presence, even if Redford’s character initially is somewhat taken aback by the idea of senior citizen sleepovers. He and Fonda boast a combined 114 years of acting experience, and appeared together in two lesser films in the ‘60s, "Tall Story" and “The Chase,” as well as “The Electric Horseman” in 1979. And at their ages—Cat Ballou turns 80 later this year and the Sundance Kid hit 81 last month—they have everything to gain and nothing to lose by becoming a twosome at this autumnal stage in life, much like Addie and Louis.
Based on a novel by Kent Haruf and directed by Ritesh Batra (“The Lunchbox”), the setting is what one would imagine if Bedford Falls existed in cowboy country. There are banjos on the soundtrack, majestic mountain scenery and the Highwaymen on the radio. Even better, it is adapted by writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, who were responsible for penning two of the best teen weep-athons of recent vintage, “The Spectacular Now” and “The Fault in Our Stars.” The hormonal surges in “Our Souls at Night” aren’t quite the rollercoaster ride they are in those adolescent affairs. But this steady-as-it-goes approach to a senior snuggling has its ups and downs, too.
One thing that I appreciate about the script, besides how most of the creakiest of old-age clichés are avoided—OK, Louis jokingly says “What?” on the phone while talking to daughter Holly (Judy Greer) when she brings up the topic of hearing aids—is that echoes of their “Barefoot in the Park” roles are imprinted on this couple. Fonda is the bold, free spirit who makes the first move and breaks the ice in forging a relationship while Redford is the staid, uptight worrier who sneaks in Addie’s backdoor so people don’t talk. And, yet, they do. When he strolls into the local coffee shop after entering through the front door for the first time, he is taunted by the local gossip (Bruce Dern, Fonda’s husband in “Coming Home”). “You’ve been pretty busy for sure,” he smirks, before adding, “We all wish we had your energy.”
There is an undercurrent of humor along the way, but dignity is maintained. There is something essentially older-male about how Louis carries a change of clothes in a tidily rolled-top paper grocery bag while walking to Addie’s place every evening. An actual piece of luggage might just imply commitment after all, let alone leaving clothes at her place. And, on their first night together sharing a bed, Addie is so relieved to have a man’s warm body beside her, she starts snoring ever so slightly the minute her head hits her pillow.
Much of the film involves these near-strangers filling in the details of their past. Louis talks about how he cheated on his wife and hurt Holly. Addie explains how her young daughter was killed by a driver after running into the street. Current-day problems also intrude in the form of her adult son, Gene (a bitter Matthias Schoenaerts), who has lost his furniture business along with his wife. He asks Addie if her seven-year-old grandson, Jamie, could stay with her for a while. That he is played by the truly talented Iain Armitage, who was a standout in the miniseries “Big Little Lies” as the suspected school bully and is the star of “The Big Bang Theory” sitcom spin-off “Young Sheldon,” makes the scenes he shares with Redford among the most enjoyable. Not only does Louis haul out an ancient model train set to distract him from being preoccupied by video games on his phone, but he teaches him how to pitch a ball. Shades of “The Natural.” Meanwhile, the always-great Greer forms a lovely and supportive bond with Fonda’s Addie in their lone brief encounter.
Physical romance takes its time to enter the picture and, as the Bard once said, the course of true love never did run smooth, especially when adult children are around. An accident occurs. A move is made and a house is sold. But there is a sense that even though a distance is put between them, the story of Addie and Louis ain’t over yet.
NETFLIX
DRAMA
Susan Wloszczyna
Susan Wloszczyna spent much of her nearly thirty years at USA TODAY as a senior entertainment reporter. Now unchained from the grind of daily journalism, she is ready to view the world of movies with fresh eyes.
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OUR SOULS AT NIGHT REVIEWS
All Critics Top Critics All Audience
Verified Audience
Don Shanahan
Every Movie Has a Lesson
Apr 14, 2021
From beginning to end, "Our Souls at Night" flows like a gentle mountain stream of contemplative conversations, crafted from well-designed scenes
Full Review | Original Score: 4/5
Richard Crouse
Richard Crouse
Mar 1, 2021
A low-key movie about two people leading quiet lives.
Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5
CJ Sheu
Review Film Review
Jul 1, 2020
The main culprit is the editing, cutting away as soon as the scene is "done" instead of lingering to see what might come next.
Full Review
Rahul Desai
Film Companion
Feb 28, 2019
Whether it's Mumbai, London or Colorado, Batra's protagonists go through the motions in a way that makes anything - a tiffin mix-up, a posthumous letter or a purposeful knock on the door - worth pursuing merely to break the monotony.
Full Review | Original Score: 4/5
Jack Blackwell
One Room With A View
Feb 28, 2019
Despite its great lead duo, Ritesh Batra's film is a rather bland and uninvolving offering, too flimsy to land with any real impact.
Full Review | Original Score: 3/5
Roger Moore
Movie Nation
Oct 31, 2018
Pleasantly dull
Full Review | Original Score: 2/4
Kyle Kizu
MovieMinis
Oct 31, 2018
Neustadter and Weber's dialogue is simultaneously a showcase of naturalism and of calculated specificity. Nothing is over-explained or overstated. Nothing seems written.
Full Review | Original Score: B+
Joe Reid
Decider
Jan 24, 2018
It's a gift to be able to watch Redford and Fonda on screen together again. There's not much else to do but say thanks.
Full Review
Rob Thomas
Capital Times (Madison, WI)
Dec 27, 2017
"Our Souls" is a welcome chance to see two wonderful actors bring out the best in each other.
Full Review
Pablo O. Scholz
Clarín
Nov 14, 2017
Robert Redford and Jane Fonda are once again a couple, now as widowers... [Full review in Spanish]
Full Review
Lee Jutton
Film Inquiry
Oct 23, 2017
Our Souls At Night is an important reminder that there are still plenty of stories worth telling in the twilight years of one's life.
Full Review
Betty Jo Tucker
ReelTalk Movie Reviews
Oct 13, 2017
'Our Souls at Night' - a sweet movie. Fonda and Redford work for me. They play their roles with style and grace in this romance not rushed for pace.
Full Review
Brian Orndorf
Blu-ray.com
Oct 12, 2017
It's simple and just lovely.
Full Review | Original Score: A-
Sean Burns
WBUR’s Arts & Culture
Oct 11, 2017
The pleasure is in watching the straightforward, unfussy performances by two seasoned pros who know better than to push too hard.
Full Review
Renee Schonfeld
Common Sense Media
Oct 10, 2017
Fonda-Redford delight in romance about grownups
Full Review | Original Score: 4/5
Anthony Lane
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
Oct 9, 2017
Much of this is too hokey by half, yet the two leading actors, their skills unfaded, command your attention to the end.
Full Review
David Wharton
The Daily Dot
Oct 5, 2017
Our Souls at Night would be worth watching even if it was just to see Redford and Fonda working together again, but thankfully it also serves as a gentle reminder that it's never too late to find love.
Full Review
Leonard Maltin
leonardmaltin.com
TOP CRITIC
Oct 2, 2017
The screenplay unfolds in unhurried fashion, allowing us to spend quality time with two highly watchable movie stars. This is the allure of Our Souls at Night and anyone who thinks of that as a pleasurable experience will not be disappointed
Full Review
Allan Hunter
Daily Express (UK)
Oct 1, 2017
It is a delicate, melancholy piece graced by two fine, understated performances and Fonda stands out as a practical, pragmatic woman who is not ready to give up on life just yet.
Full Review | Original Score: 4/5
Richard Roeper
Chicago Sun-Times
TOP CRITIC
Sep 30, 2017
These are good people, and these are great actors portraying these good people, and if you not rooting for Louis and Addie to find comfort and love and peace with one another in their last years, then I just don't know what to tell you.
Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4
