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- 2023
- PG-13
- Bleecker Street Media
- 1 h 27 m
- 2023
- PG-13
- Bleecker Street Media
- 1 h 27 m
Summary Milton (Ben Kingsley) lives a quiet life of routine in a small western Pennsylvania town, but finds his day upended when a UFO and its extra-terrestrial passenger crash land in his backyard. Before long, Milton develops a close relationship with the extra-terrestrial he calls “Jules.” Things become complicated when two neighbors (Jane Cu...
Directed By: Marc Turtletaub
Written By: Gavin Steckler
- 2023
- PG-13
- Bleecker Street Media
- 1 h 27 m
- 2023
- PG-13
- Bleecker Street Media
- 1 h 27 m
Jules
57
6.4
Where to Watch
Summary Milton (Ben Kingsley) lives a quiet life of routine in a small western Pennsylvania town, but finds his day upended when a UFO and its extra-terrestrial passenger crash land in his backyard. Before long, Milton develops a close relationship with the extra-terrestrial he calls “Jules.” Things become complicated when two neighbors (Jane Cu...
Directed By: Marc Turtletaub
Written By: Gavin Steckler
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 14 Critic Reviews
57
50% Positive
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
43% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
7% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 14 Critic Reviews
57
50% Positive
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
43% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
7% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
The movie has a tighter, more out-there scope than its contemporaries, but its ideas about aging and companionship are universal. Bolstered by a terrific core cast of older actors, Jules is a warm film that proves senior cinema doesn’t have to be the same fluff, repackaged several times over.
Underneath its ridiculous framing and outer-space high jinks, “Jules” is full to the brim with empathy for its elderly characters and their desire for personal agency.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 20 User Ratings
6.4
80% Positive
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
10% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
10% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 20 User Ratings
6.4
80% Positive
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
10% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
10% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
Evita con inteligencia ser una imitación burda de E.T y, al mismo tiempo, aborda de manera correcta y sensible temas como el envejecimiento y la soledad, sin recurrir a sentimentalismo barato, con un adecuado score musical.
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E.T. for the AARP crowd.
A pleasant summer diversion from the crash, boom, bang, genre.
Ben Kingsley gave a heartfelt, touching performance that reminded me a lot of my Mom, and how I had a hard time believing her and not facing the facts that her health/memory were slowly declining.
I also loved the supporting cast and a big shout-out to Jane Curtin. Where's she been? I almost lost it when she began singing Free Bird. Nice touch, Jane. It doesn't matter what you believe, what matters is we all need to be kinder to one another and show a little compassion. It's easy to get wrapped up in the days events and forget what matters most. Family and friends. We are all just trying to get back home, one way or another.
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A lot of genuine heart and goodwill has been poured into Jules, a slight, gentle comedy with a sci-fi edge. Heartfelt as it might be and despite a strong cast led by Sir Ben Kingsley, an unfocused storyline undermines the film, making it a frustrating watch.
It’s a gently inoffensive little comedy from Marc Turtletaub (producer of Little Miss Sunshine and director of Puzzle), with an amiably jovial score. But the picture is elevated by its handling of melancholy themes of ageing and loneliness, and a superb gruff-yet-vulnerable performance from Kingsley.
This is a sentimental and folksy film, and the ending is a little garbled, but there is a gentleness and sweetness there, and Kingsley carries it off very well.
Sometimes, this peculiarly amusing film argues in its own special way, coming face-to-face with the weirdness that life throws your way can be the most important step towards learning how to live with it.
Inside the sci-fi dramedy Jules lurks a message about senior citizens being ignored and deprived of their independence simply because of their age. Unfortunately, the script by Gavin Steckler takes a most confounding route to get to it — one involving an alien, town hall meetings, and FBI agents who want to keep the extraterrestrial here under wraps.
Com personagens para lá de humanos, vemos a vida de 3 idosos se conectarem com um extraterrestre (que lembra uma criança) numa história que pode despertar uma série de perguntas sobre a perda da humanidade e na empatia com o próximo especialmente quando este chega na terceira idade.
Caindo de uma nave especial no quintal de um senhor solitário, que basicamente recebe apenas a visita da filha, esta tendo que se desdobrar entre demais afazeres e o cuidado com o pai, vemos a história se desenvolvendo como um gatilho que se sobressai à solidão. Nas primeiras cenas, nosso protagonista anda pelas ruas, participa de audiências públicas da prefeitura, mas sempre "rodeado de pessoas vazias". A solidão do homem moderno vai se deparar com o extraordinário, de modo que toda a conexão que se faz a partir daí, soa muitas vezes poética.
Outras duas senhoras irão se juntar ao grupo, formando um quarteto interessante: longe da possibilidade pragmática de se promoverem por conta daquele ser estranho, e eles próprios tendo problemas reais a resolver (questão de saúde por exemplo), vemos que a presença do fantasioso pode desencadear uma série de sentimentos que escapam ao nosso controle, ao mesmo tempo que revelam a nossa fragilidade humana.
É lindo de ver que brota daí, do desconhecido, a afeição e amizade, o sentimento de proteção que o mundo moderno, hiperconectado, insiste em fazer apagar. É como se o extraterrestre os lembrasse de que são humanos, é literalmente a alteridade sendo explorada aqui, de forma muito competente, num roteiro que não tem pressa e nem vontade de soar estridente.
Talvez por isso falte na história uma pegada mais densa, pode soar letárgico ou banal para alguns, ainda mais que há pontas soltas (a relação com a filha, por exemplo), mas é justamente aí que entra a graça: o ET é como uma visita inesperada, que não se pretende revolucionar as tramas, mas de alguma forma consegue marcar a vida daquelas pessoas. É como um grito para voltarem às suas humanidades, um sacolejo nos sentimentos.
Filme muito bonito, que embora seja filmado de forma bem burocrática, consegue ser eficiente na sua proposta.
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This was an enjoyable film. It was really nice to see Harriet Harris & Jane Curtin, a couple of my favourite character actresses from 1990’s sitcoms Frasier and 3rd Rock From The Sun. My biggest criticism with this movie is actually with the alien: I think the alien was too human like in its appearance and maneurisms. Otherwise, a nice movie.
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IN A NUTSHELL:
The story is about an alien who crash-lands in the backyard of an old man in Pennsylvania. Two of his senior neighbors discover what happened and, together, they try to help the alien return to his home before the government closes in on their new friend.
The inventive film was directed by Marc Turtletaub, who also co-produced it with a team.
The story was written by Gavin Steckler.
THINGS I LIKED:
I’ve been a huge fan of Ben Kingsley for decades! He is such a chameleon of an actor. For me, that’s the true mark **** actor. Some actors basically play the same character in every movie, but he completely disappears in every role he takes on.
The rest of the talented cast includes Harriet Sansom Harris, Zoë Winters, and SNL favorite Jane Curtin. The alien was played by Jade Quon. They all do a fantastic job!
The musical score is lovely.
The characters are quirky and immediately endearing.
The director stated in an interview that this story met his two criteria that determined whether or not he would make a particular film:
1. Is the story about something meaningful enough that the viewer will continue to reflect on it after watching it?
2. Does the story offer a unique approach to the telling?
The movie was shot in 35 days, but the production was delayed due to the pandemic.
Fun fact: Jade Quon didn’t reveal her portrayal of the alien until she was in full makeup. Needless to say, they were all shocked and surprised.
THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:
It’s very slow moving.
Some viewers might be expecting MORE…sci-fi, plot or even humor. What makes the movie especially touching is that it takes its time to say what it wants to say.
TIPS FOR PARENTS:
Talk of lesbians.
Multiple F-bombs
Talk of a man’s head exploding
We see a thief struggle with an older woman
Kids could be traumatized by seeing all of the dead cats. EEK!
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Ben Kingsley plays a man living quietly in a small town. Things change when a UFO crashes in his backyard and the inhabitant wanders into his home and his life. Meanwhile, two friends (Harriet Sansom Harris & Jane Curtin) add to the concerns. While this is billed as a comedy, it's not funny. There is a light-hearted tone, but it's mostly living in the "sweet" lane. Issues of aging are introduced and it's def less upbeat than most of the films being released these days with a primary cast over 65. The alien character (played by Jade Quon) is interesting, but is basically a quiet sounding board for the humans. Fortunately, the actors all do a fine job, which helps this odd little film find its heart.
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Awards
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
• 3 Nominations
Sonoma International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Hollywood Music In Media Awards (HMMA)
• 1 Nomination
