JULES (2023)

August 11, 2023

Greetings again from the darkness. Senior citizens sometimes nearly cease to exist for the outside world, or at best, are humored in a ‘there-there’ manner. So, what do you think happens when an elderly gentleman in a small western Pennsylvania town repeats the same suggestions at multiple City Council meetings, and then, in a nonchalant way, mentions that a spaceship crash-landed in his backyard, damaging his azaleas and birdbath? Right, others just shrug and move on, assuming the ol’ geezer is just imagining things.

But what if the old man is not imagining? What if that spaceship/UFO did crush his azaleas and he’s now being quite hospitable and nursing the injured alien back to health? Well, that’s the story here in the first feature film screenplay from Gavin Steckler (“Review”) in a film directed by Marc Turtletaub, best known as a Producer on such fine films as THE FAREWELL (2019), LOVING (2016), and LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (2006).

Oscar winner Ben Kingsley plays Milton Robinson, a gentle soul and widower whose veterinarian daughter Denise (Zoe Winters, “Succession”) helps him out with finances, while also encouraging him to see a doctor in hopes that he’ll agree to move into an assisted living home. We see her concerns as Milton is forgetful and repetitive and lonely … yet we also see his insistence on maintaining independence. Obviously, this is a situation many families deal with on a daily basis.

Things get really interesting when a couple of the other town elders become involved. Sandy (Harriet Sanson Harris) is the chipper do-gooder who is always trying to better the community, while Joyce (Jane Curtin) is the nosy one who wants to know everyone’s business. Watching these three deal with the quiet and calm alien they name Jules is almost a therapeutic experience in bonding over a secret.

Mostly a charming, feel-good movie, Ms. Curtin does deliver a dose of comedy with her rendition of “Free Bird”, and having Milton admit to three jaywalking tickets while addressing the City Council is a nice touch. This little film is full of kindness – unless you are a cat – and most will recognize that sliced apples take the place of Reese’s Pieces. It’s likely the most pleasant and easy-going science fiction movie we’ve seen … at least until the few moments when the government is involved. Let’s hope we would all treat outsiders the way Milton treats Jules.

Opens in theaters on August 11, 2023

WATCH THE TRAILER

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Posted by David Ferguson

ODE TO JOY (2019)

August 7, 2019

 Greetings again from the darkness. You might be familiar with the disease “narcolepsy”, but unless you or someone close to you suffers from it, you’re likely unfamiliar with “cataplexy” – a symptom of narcolepsy that causes sudden and extreme muscle weakness typically brought on by severe emotions such as sadness, anger or excitement. For Charlie (played by Martin Freeman, THE HOBBIT), the trigger is happiness, so he has learned to (mostly) cope by avoiding his triggers: puppies, weddings, random acts of kindness, kids playing, and relationships. What he couldn’t avoid was being a groomsman in his sister’s wedding, which is how director Jason Winer and co-writers Max Werner and Chris Higgins choose to begin the film. We see the full effects and fallout (no pun intended) of Charlie’s disease.

Charlie listens to Wagner’s “Funeral March” on his commute to a calm job (out of necessity) at the public library, and his co-workers have mastered the art of assisting in keeping Charlie thinking non-happy thoughts. As tends to happen in life, love finds a way. Charlie crosses paths with Francesca (Morena Baccarin), a spirited woman who appears to be Charlie’s opposite in most every way … making the attraction even stronger. At a first date to a community theatre where a one-man show titled “Great Depression” is playing, we get the full effect of the challenges Charlie faces.

Cooper (Jake Lacy), Charlie’s younger brother, has been his main support system for most of his life – which is even more remarkable when we get the story of how Cooper got his name. When things fizzle between Francesca and Charlie, Cooper swoops in to date her and they set up Charlie with Bethany (a brilliantly funny Melissa Rauch). Bethany’s own quirks seem to be a good fit, even if Charlie’s torch for Francesca still flickers. Surely you’ve never seen an oboe sing-a-long to the Cranberries “Zombie”, and if somehow you have, it likely pales in comparison to the one Ms. Rauch performs.

The laughs are many, yet the script and Freeman’s performance remain respectful to the disease and those who suffer from it. Jane Curtin appears as Francesca’s Aunt who is cancer-stricken, and no, the purpose wasn’t to show a disease worse than cataplexy, but rather to show we all have challenges in life – and how we deal determines the type of person we are. The story was inspired by a segment on Chicago TV’s “This American Life”. It’s a delightful (if you can get over the use of a genetic disease as comedy fodder) little gem that I caught at the 2019 Dallas International Film Festival, and hopefully it will find an audience.

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson