At first glance, you’d be forgiven for not thinking too much of Our Souls at Night, based on the premise and the general tone of the film. The adaptation of the novel by Kent Haruf, directed by Ritesh Batra, is not necessarily the most revolutionary piece of filmmaking, functioning as a solid, endearing romantic drama about two lonely people finding companionship (and later love) in their twilight years, going against the odds and succumbing to the romance simmering between them. However, there are a few components that immediately set it apart from other films – first of all, this is a film that stars Jane Fonda and Robert Redford, who are not only inarguably two of the greatest American actors in the history of cinema, but reuniting half a century since their most famous collaboration, the iconic screwball comedy Barefoot in the Park, which ushered in an entire generation of romantic comedies, the aftershocks of that revolutionary work still being felt in cinema today. Even if we just view it as a novelty, Our Souls at Night is a film that carries a lot of depth, sketching out an achingly beautiful portrayal of an unconventional but equally heartfelt romance that proves that love doesn’t have an age limit, and that anyone can still feel those distinctive pangs of longing that come when our heart belongs to someone else, whether they realize it or not. Batra, who has made a few well-received (but sadly underappreciated) dramas in his career, shepherds together some ambitious ideas, and funnels them into this powerful and evocative drama that is so much more than just the sum of its parts, being one of the most surprisingly effective romantic dramas of the past decade.

Discussing Our Souls at Night without drawing attention to the work being done by Jane Fonda and Robert Redford early on seems misguided, since this seems like one of the rare examples of a film being constructed solely to showcase two extremely iconic veterans of the medium. The characters of Louis and Addie could have been played by absolutely anyone in theory, but yet it’s difficult to imagine any other actor embodying these individuals quite as much as Fonda and Redford, who are doing some of their most understated work. The key to understanding why their performances are so effective comes in the realization that not only are they both doing very strong work on their own, much of the success of Our Souls at Night rests on the insatiable chemistry between the two actors – they enchanted audiences in 1967 by trotting across our screens in their youthful glory, and now half a century later reunited to show the fact that they’re both still possess the same incredible talents. Their chemistry is just absolutely phenomenal – there are many scenes where the director just allows the actors to exist in the moment, the dialogue being frivolous, and the attention instead being on the atmosphere created by these actors appearing alongside each other. Few films produced in the past two decades have quite done what Our Souls at Night did in terms of establishing a discussion on the legacy of these two actors, and while both have had their fair share of recent projects centred on their status as true legends within the industry, few of them managed to be as affecting as this one, the intricate details evoked by the two actors in these performances being simply irresistible.

Oddly, despite the subject matter seeming almost too simplistic, Our Souls at Night is one of the more effective representations of American culture made in recent years – set in working-class Colorado, the film tells the story of two profoundly lonely people who both have aspirations outside their small town, looking towards the exoticism of distant lands as their means of getting through their dreary existence. The film plumbs a great deal of commentary from this side of the story, using these characters as representations for the “lost generation” of American people, who were born in between the wars, and therefore came to learn some harsh realities extremely early on. The film logically doesn’t dwell on this in a way that it is a major theme – instead, its a thematic undercurrent, a concept that informs these characters and makes their journey, both individually and their ultimately culminating voyage together, all the more interesting. There is a visceral honesty to this film, which situates it within a solid movement of American realism, which sought to tell stories focused on ordinary folk surviving in different circumstances – and the tale of two elderly, widowed individuals somehow finding each other in the midst of their crippling loneliness is classic romanticism in its purest and most untouched form. Batra has had some experience with such simple, human stories, but somehow Our Souls at Night stands out as being even more poignant, perhaps as a result of the overwhelming complexity that the two leads bring to the film, which benefits massively from not only their well-regarded talents, but their willingness to surrender to the deeply haunting humanity of the project.

However, perhaps reading too deeply into the subtext of Our Souls at Night is misguided, because after all, this is first and foremost a work built on romance, and the director makes sure to adhere very strictly to this side of the story, more than anything else. The joy that comes in watching this film is mostly a result of our fascination with seeing these two people gradually fall in love – it’s forthright and refuses to beat around the bush – the first scene sees Fonda’s character outright ask Redford if he would “like to come over to my house and sleep with me”, which sets the tone for the rest of the film: it is direct, honest and perhaps even vaguely humorous in how it approaches this scenario, which seems far-fetched at first, until we see the incredibly potent realism filtering through the glossy production. We’re passive observers into the lives of these two characters, who slowly start to realize that there is a much deeper connection that exists between them than they initially thought, where they’re not merely two lonely individuals coming together for the sake of filling in the deafening silence of those isolated nights, but rather souls that have become interconnected by what appears to be some kind of celestial fate, which draws them together and gives them the intrepid courage to push through their hesitations and just surrender to the sensation of love, which has been rekindled by this chance encounter after many years of lying dormant, which neither of them seem to have expected, having nestled comfortably in a life of quiet solitude, all the while yearning for another meaningful connection.

If there is a message found in Our Souls at Night, it would be that it is never too late to fall in love, and that even in the final stages of one’s life, there is hope for a meaningful connection, one that fills the heart and nourishes the soul. This is the major theme of this film, which is a masterful example of quiet, beautifully-composed drama that can look at adult themes without being too overwrought. Every emotion is mature and well-thought-out, only eclipsed by the tangible sense of romance that burns with a fiery passion between the two leads, who are absolutely impeccable. Both Fonda and Redford prove that, despite having advanced in age, they still possess the vibrant energy that made their collaborations over half a century ago so astonishing. Our Souls at Night may not be the witty, hilarious comedy that was Barefoot in the Park (which was clearly the reason behind casting the two legends across from each other), but the incredible chemistry between them remains just as strong, each scene developing their relationship further, proving that they aren’t only unforgettable actors on their own terms, but can extract stunning results when working in tandem. This is a simple but effective film that looks deep into the hearts of these two ordinary but compelling characters, gradually stripping away the layers of cliched conventions normally found in romantic dramas, and instead focusing on the raw humanity at the heart of their relationship. It’s a truly beautiful film that is as straightforward as it is absolutely shattering, and one that holds our attention for every captivating moment in which we’re immersed in this gorgeous story that proves that there is no boundary that love can’t conquer with the right attitude and resolve to sustain and nurture it into a beautiful romance.