Watch Our Souls at Night For Free

Fresh and Exciting

Fantastic!

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Cary Grant was one of my two favorite actors, but I was disappointed in him retiring. Not that I expected him to work full time in his later years, but it would have been nice to see him at least once in a while. My other favorite actor was Spencer Tracy, who kept on working literally until the end. I admire that. And os, I also admire that at age 81 Robert Redford is still putting himself out there for those of us who admired and admire him. I have to admit though, that since I am approaching 70, watching Redford age has been a bit difficult for me. When I was fairly young, Redford made a string of films that I greatly admired ("The Candidate", for example). And so, though I think it would be fair to say that this effort by Redford isn't going to set the world on fire (it's a slow pace), it's a decent film that shows the challenges of getting old, but not in the usual weeper. And in fact, the film doesn't end the way you kind of expect it to...which is good. Redford and Jane Fonda really show their craft here -- good, solid acting that makes you care about the characters.It's also interesting to see Iain Armitage, the boy who is "Young Sheldon". Although it was filmed the same year as the beginning of the television show, he seems so little here.All in all, this is a good movie for mature audiences. We all get to where these characters are, but it doesn't mean that life can't be full.

It's a movie you will watch because Robert Redford and Jane Fonda star. And then it is so obvious, so "deja vu". I know movies are business but aren't they tired of portraing the same over and over again? Nothing is dirty, nobody knows where they get the money, they have losts of clothes, their houses are perfect (except his door); do people live that way?, do people suffer "loneliness" in that comfortable way? Is everybody so indiferent to religion?

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.

Is there anything more depressing than geriatric sex? Yes. Geriatric actors who just Won't. Go. Away. Look, there is nothing wrong with retirement. I know. I'm a retiree myself. And retirement in the case of these two Norma Desmonds would be even better. It would be dignified. You can't play Salome if you're past 17. At least Norma Desmond was 50. These two old farts are 80, for goodness sake.Jane, Bob. You were once gorgeous and sexy. Now you are just old. Sex at age 80 is one of those things that everybody knows (may) happen, but nobody wants to hear about. Like Alzheimer. So please, stop embarrassing yourselves. And us.