By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
Surprising and hilariously charming is perhaps the best way to describe this new comedy that’s flying under the radar with little to no marketing. In a sea of remakes, sequels, and adaptations, “Jules” proves there can still be originality in cinema.
Living a quiet life in a small western Pennsylvania town, Milton (Ben Kingsley) routinely attends town hall meetings to suggest changing the town’s slogan and creating a crosswalk at a busy intersection. The 72-year-old has grown accustomed to his mundane life of simplicity until a UFO suddenly crashes into his backyard one night with its alien pilot injured. Unsure of how to handle the situation, Milton attempts to alert the local authorities, but nobody takes him seriously including his daughter, thinking senility as taken hold.
As Milton attempts to nurse the alien back to health, a couple of nosy neighbors learn that Milton was actually telling the truth about his otherworldly encounter. Sandy (Harriet Sansom Harris) and Joyce (Jane Curtin) decide this needs to remain a secret to protect this extraterrestrial they’ve named Jules (Jade Quon) while he recovers and repairs his ship. The trio comically attempts to mask their activities from the government that is quickly narrowing in on the crashed UFO and their mute friend.
The story may seem ridiculous on the surface, but director Marc Turtletaub weaves the absurdity into a genuinely humorous and touching tale with some heartfelt subplots. Marc, who previously produced “Little Miss Sunshine,” incorporates a similar type of situational comedy in this film that rewards the audience over and over from start to finish. The creativity and random humor are a breath of fresh air that viewers cannot help but enjoy.
Marc seamlessly and subtly weaves the mental degradation that faces millions of older people into the storyline while still keeping the film feeling light without minimizing the seriousness of the illness. He successfully crafts an implausible concept into a believable scenario that keeps the audience invested through humor, which is no easy task.
Oscar winner Ben Kingsley is outstanding in the lead role, crafting a very relatable character that is both sad and funny, but most of all endearing and charming. He expertly portrays a character experiencing the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s, desperately clinging to denial, and finding solace in this mysteriously, exciting cosmic event that gives him renewed vigor to live life before losing himself. It’s the kind of performance that will have the audience smiling while also tearing up.
Harriet Sansom Harris and Jane Curtin both provide exemplary supporting performances as the elderly women who take a keen interest in Kingsley’s character. Harriet builds her character as a grandmotherly type who always sees the best in people, sometimes naively so, while Jane makes her character hilariously suspicious and nosy with her big city backstory. They create quite a complimentary trio, feeding off each other in a harmoniously funny way.
“Jules” is a truly enjoyable filmgoing experience that will have you walking away with a smile on your face guaranteed. Unlike the formulaic type of raunchy comedies that are all too prevalent, this is a unique comedy that’s fit for all ages. It likely won’t remain in the theater very long, so don’t miss the opportunity for a fun trip to the movies.
This movie earns:
