JULES (2023)

JULES (2023)

Tagline: You Won’t Believe What Just Crashed into Milton’s Azaleas. 

(Drama, Sci-Fi, Has Anyone Seen My Cat?) [PG-13]

How can you say that when you’re buying apples for an alien?

In this one, Milton is living on his own with occasional visits from his daughter Denise who cuts his hair. They live in a small Pennsylvania town and Milton’s primary source of excitement is going to city hall meetings to ask for a street light and to have the towns motto changed. One night he comes home and a flying saucer has landed in his backyard. Once an alien comes out of the ship and falls on the ground at his back door, he tells everyone what is going on, but the story is just too incredible to be believed. The incident draws him towards two other aging residents of the town Sandy and Joyce and the trio starts calling the silent alien “Jules”. 

First off, I am not going to say this is the best performance out of anyone in this cast, but they are all delightful and I think that serves to draw the audience into not only the storyline, but into caring about its characters. Unlike a lot of productions these days this movie is very light-hearted in execution while dealing with real subjects in a way that doesn’t drag you down into depression. 

There is a bit of profanity in this thing, but it’s cut down to almost nothing and never feels gratuitous our out of place. The aliens suit design is clearly just a suit, but it’s effective regardless and even though this is technically a sci-fi flick, that is far from the main focus. All of this is given a simplistic score and subtle soundtrack that works to near perfection. I do kind of wish they hadn’t had Jane Curtain who plays Joyce, belt out a song, but people were laughing in the theater I saw this in, so I am sure that scene got the desired result. I am not saying Jane Curtain (CONEHEADS) is the worst singer of all time, I just thought that sequence didn’t match the intensity of another sequence that was happening at the same time in the film. 

Acting wise aside from Jane, we also get the legendary Ben Kingsley (IRON MAN 3) who is an incredible master of his craft. Milton is crotchety but kind, independent, but soft hearted when the chips are down. Zoe Winters probably best known for the TV show “Succession” is outstanding as Milton’s daughter Denise. I am the kind of person that just believes whatever someone tells me when it comes to super crazy stuff, because I have seen a LOT of stuff that is beyond super crazy, but Denise’s reactions to her father’s struggles are very down to earth. She isn’t fluffy, but she loves him and that endeared me to her character. I do wish they had done a little more to get her involved in the main plot. Harriet Sansom Harris (THE ONE) is awesome in this. Her emotional range is on full display here. 

Regarding the pacing this movie is a brisk 87 minutes long, but they pack a lot into the storyline with expert level drama and humor. These light touches bring so much charm to the experience that I don’t think I would have embraced quite as much otherwise. This is the first indie film I have been to in a while where people were clapping at the end. That sure as heck didn’t happen when I saw ASTEROID CITY. 

JULES isn’t a perfect film, I could have done without some of the repetitive sequences, but overall this thing is just loaded with wonder and charisma that made it a memorable effort. JULES gets a solid 6 out of 7. It’s kind of a lesson on how much substance matters. 

GRAPHICS ARE THE PROPERTY OF BIG BEACH FILMS AND ARE USED FOR REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY.