Director: Ritesh Batra
Rating: 4/5
New film on Netflix is a really interesting one. It is very slow, but in a good way.
It is a story of life and things that happen to everyone and this film shows that beautifully. The message of the film is also to stop caring what other people think and get on with your life. I always believed in this, and this is why this film appealed to me.
In a nutshell, Addie (Jane Fonda) comes one night to the doors of her neighbour Louis (Robert Redford) and asks if he would like to start sleeping together to keep each other company and have someone to talk to at night to fall asleep easily. He gets surprised but ultimately agrees to try this strange form of companionship based on friendship and not sex.
They become subject of gossip in their small town, and this is what film portrays beautifully. It shows us outraged faces and gossip and basically the ugly nature of humanity. But, it also shows us that gossip and slander are always there and if we pay attention we will waste all our lives worrying what some quite frankly unimportant person thinks. Thus, it is better to get on with your life and ignore the gossip until it fades away, because ultimately it always does.
However, this is not the only story in the film. Addie’s son Gene (Matthias Schoenaerts) comes to town and leaves his son with her, which presents a first obstacle in the new friendship of Louis and Addie. However, the happy couple overcomes this easily and Louis soon becomes a good buddy with Addie’s grandson. The couple looks as parents when they go to picnics and play with the little one. One would almost wish that they have met before. But, Addie’s soon Gene blames Addie for not being a good mother after his sister died and insists she comes to live with him, which presents an even bigger obstacle in the life of the new couple…
The film is about everyday life, negotiating identities, but also love and parenting. It shows how parents can be selfish and not caring enough but children are not always better for some children seem to think that parents have no right to a life of their own. In addition, the message of the film is that older people also have needs and that retired age does not need to be bad. Life, regardless of its stage, can always be beautiful if we give ourself a chance.
A very nice film. I really enjoyed it.
Thank you for reading.