Jules
Dir Marc Turtletaub
Written by Gavin Steckler
Ben Kingsley, Harriet Sansom Harris, Jane Curtin, Zoe Winters, Jade Quon.
Milton, is a 78 yo widower, who lives alone in the small town of Boonton, Pensylvania. His daughter is the local vet, and he spends his time in his garden, and at the many town meetings with absurd requests in order to make the town better. He is friendly with two widows in the town, Sandy – who wants to connect with the youth of the town, and Joyce – whose only companion is a twenty year old blind and deaf cat.
He is slowly showing signs of dementia, and his daughter is worried about him, and those worries escalate when he claims that a spaceship landed in his backyard, and there is an alien living in his home. It just so happens, that a spaceship did crash in his backyard and there is an alien living in his home.
I was pleasantly surprised by just how good this film was. From the premise, it seemed like an interesting plot – but the end result is way better for the most parts.
The casting is top tier, with screen legend Kingsley – almost unrecognisable, as the spectacled, with constant ‘bed hair’ Milton. His American accent never seeming to waver – he plays the role brilliantly, and as the film progresses, and we learn of his illness – he becomes an empathic character who you want to spend time with.
His two co-stars and equal ‘supporting’ cast Harris, and Curtin are simply delightful. Both primarily known for their comedic abilities – bring a level of maturity – and they both support Milton in their own way. As they too discover about the alien, who they call Jules – they develop a friendship of their own. Both characters also bring their own history, and make every moment in the 80m runtime of the movie count.
Two special moments that stand out, are Sandy’s discussion with Jules about her daughter, and Joyce’s rendition of free bird. The score around the film, is also soft and sombre, and matches the film.
The screenplay is very well done, especially since the ‘title’ character, Jules does not speak – and the character around ‘Jules’ speak to them. It is also quite tender and mature, especially with the primary three characters all being of mature age – with their children all adults, and how their relationships exist. Jules almost becomes their ‘child’, as they each have had their own challenges with their own children.
An absolutely beautiful film, and I highly recommend.
4/5
I’ve now added Patreon, if you’re able to please check it out, and any members are greatly appreciated.