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Jules
A powerhouse performance by Oscar winner Sir Ben Kingsley anchors 2023's Jules, a deliciously enchanting comic fantasy that is so well-directed and acted that it's very easy to forgive some screenplay issues.
Set in the fictional town called Boonton, Pennsylvania, Sir Ben plays Milton, a lonely widower who visits the town meetings every week because he wants the town's motto changed and wants a traffic signal installed at a particularly busy intersection. One night Milton is awakened by a crash and goes downstairs and discovers a spaceship has landed right on top of his azaleas. He calls 911 to report it, but they don't believe him and hang up on him. The next night, he goes out to his yard to discover an alien as come out of the ship and is lying comatose in his yard. The following evening, he finds the alien huddled in a corner with the blanket that Milton provided him wrapped around himself, so Milton invites him into the house.
The alien doesn't speak nor displays any fear or aggression. but seems to understand Milton and pays attention as Milton offers a tour of his home before discovering that the alien likes to eat apple slices. It's not long before Milton's grown daughter hears about the alien and wants to have her father committed. Meanwhile, a pair of Milton's lady friends, Sandy and Joyce discover Milton's houseguest and do what they can to help Milton protect the alien, but the story takes a dark and unexpected turn when the alien gets Sandy out of a sticky situation.
Screenwriter Gavin Steckler provides an engaging story with interesting characters at its core that is easy for the viewer to become engaged. There were a couple of things that did initially nag as I continued to watch: When his daughter tries to lock him up, I didn't understand why he made no attempt to get her to come to the house to see the spaceship. Also, this is a small suburban community, are we supposed to believe that no one saw this spaceship in Milton's backyard? By the halfway point of the film, I was able to let these things go in favor of embracing the rich elements of the story I was provided by.
This wasn't just a story about an alien coming to earth, it was a story about ageism and how cancelled senior citizens feel as they age. Milton, Sandy, and Joyce all find someone to listen to them in this alien and we get the feeling that no one has really listened to them for a long time and their joy at being listened to was a joy to watch.
Director Marc Turtletaub definitely displays his affinity with film classics like ET and Cocoon, keeping this heartwarming story steeped in realism as we watch the bad guys get close enough to our little alien friend to make us squirm, while still providing a couple of story moves we don't see coming. Sir Ben Kingsley buries his British accent and delivers the kind of performance that breaks hearts and wins Oscars. One of my favorite character actresses, the brilliant Harriet Sansom Harris lights up the screen as Sandy, as does Jane Curtin as Joyce, who nails a surprising musical moment. This movie will probably get by a lot of people and I don't see a lot of award love coming its way either, though I think Kingsley and Harris do Oscar-worthy work. Absolutely LOVED this movie.
A powerhouse performance by Oscar winner Sir Ben Kingsley anchors 2023's Jules, a deliciously enchanting comic fantasy that is so well-directed and acted that it's very easy to forgive some screenplay issues.
Set in the fictional town called Boonton, Pennsylvania, Sir Ben plays Milton, a lonely widower who visits the town meetings every week because he wants the town's motto changed and wants a traffic signal installed at a particularly busy intersection. One night Milton is awakened by a crash and goes downstairs and discovers a spaceship has landed right on top of his azaleas. He calls 911 to report it, but they don't believe him and hang up on him. The next night, he goes out to his yard to discover an alien as come out of the ship and is lying comatose in his yard. The following evening, he finds the alien huddled in a corner with the blanket that Milton provided him wrapped around himself, so Milton invites him into the house.
The alien doesn't speak nor displays any fear or aggression. but seems to understand Milton and pays attention as Milton offers a tour of his home before discovering that the alien likes to eat apple slices. It's not long before Milton's grown daughter hears about the alien and wants to have her father committed. Meanwhile, a pair of Milton's lady friends, Sandy and Joyce discover Milton's houseguest and do what they can to help Milton protect the alien, but the story takes a dark and unexpected turn when the alien gets Sandy out of a sticky situation.
Screenwriter Gavin Steckler provides an engaging story with interesting characters at its core that is easy for the viewer to become engaged. There were a couple of things that did initially nag as I continued to watch: When his daughter tries to lock him up, I didn't understand why he made no attempt to get her to come to the house to see the spaceship. Also, this is a small suburban community, are we supposed to believe that no one saw this spaceship in Milton's backyard? By the halfway point of the film, I was able to let these things go in favor of embracing the rich elements of the story I was provided by.
This wasn't just a story about an alien coming to earth, it was a story about ageism and how cancelled senior citizens feel as they age. Milton, Sandy, and Joyce all find someone to listen to them in this alien and we get the feeling that no one has really listened to them for a long time and their joy at being listened to was a joy to watch.
Director Marc Turtletaub definitely displays his affinity with film classics like ET and Cocoon, keeping this heartwarming story steeped in realism as we watch the bad guys get close enough to our little alien friend to make us squirm, while still providing a couple of story moves we don't see coming. Sir Ben Kingsley buries his British accent and delivers the kind of performance that breaks hearts and wins Oscars. One of my favorite character actresses, the brilliant Harriet Sansom Harris lights up the screen as Sandy, as does Jane Curtin as Joyce, who nails a surprising musical moment. This movie will probably get by a lot of people and I don't see a lot of award love coming its way either, though I think Kingsley and Harris do Oscar-worthy work. Absolutely LOVED this movie.