Our Souls at Night (2017)

Director: Ritesh Batra
Stars: Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, Iain Armitage
Runtime: 103 minutes

Performances: 6/10
Screenplay: 4/10
Special Effects: N.A.
Costumes/Makeup: 6/10
Editing: 5/10
Cinematography: 7/10
Score/Soundtrack: 6/10

Verdict: Addie and Louis, two widows who have lived next to each other for decades, decide to get in a relationship à la “Friends with Benefits”, but minus the sex.

The movie stars Jane Fonda and Robert Redford, two titans of the industry, and they’re by far the best thing about it. They did their best to give life to a film that felt like it was leading to nowhere since the very beginning, unfortunately without really succeeding. The story was incredibly boring and predictable, and I never felt invested in what the characters were going through. The writers did try to make the narrative more interesting by adding some family drama that never worked for me, and by introducing Addie’s grandson as a way to bring back the protagonists’ parental instincts. The child, played by Iain Armitage of “Young Sheldon” fame, was, however, extremely annoying and never felt like a realistically written child, which made me cringe every time he appeared on screen. The only interesting aspect offered by Ritesh Batra’s movie was its cinematography, which was heightened by some delightful scenery shots.

I was really rooting for “Our Souls at Night” to work, but it sadly turned out to be a dull and forgettable romantic drama. Unless you consider yourself a huge fan of one of the two leads, I would pick another movie to watch on date night.

Final Grade: 4/10