Jules (2023) Movie Review
The only advertisement of any kind I’d seen of this film was a preview in theaters, only a week before it’s release. Usually if the studio is not bold enough to advertise their product, it is sign of disaster. The trailer, however, was genuinely enjoyable that pushed me into taking a chance to watch the movie. Now having see the film, I am honestly surprised a heartfelt film like this did not have a stronger push in promotion.
The film centers around an elderly old man named Milton who’s life plays on an endless, boring loop with only his daughter and two distant friends to whom he speaks with. His son holds a grudge against Milton and refuses to call him. Milton even justifies his son’s decision by stating he was not a good father in the past and even gave up at one point. One day, a space ship crash lands in his backyard with an alien inside. Although skeptical at first, Milton befriends this alien, Jules, who unintentionally brings him closer with his two elderly friends. The banter between the three main characters is the highlight of the film, with its refreshing humor and old people jokes it offers.
The story does a great job in tackling the topic of elderly folks who are alone and do not have anyone to converse with in their lives. They live their days in a repetitive cycle they grow weary of, so the connection with Jules is a breath of fresh air even if he is an alien. Jules never once speaks so he plays a one sided therapist role and provides these folks with the opportunity to freely speak their minds about things in their lives bothering them.
If you have ever dealt with a grandparent, you will feel a warm touch on your heart with laughable but relatable moments. One such scene is of Milton explaining the purpose of his numerous remotes for the TV and which ones to never touch or things get screwed up. He even goes into length about his favorite TV stations and which times offer the best programs to watch.
The film knows where tension is needed and crafted scenes that will have you feeling depressed for the things these old people have to go through. One such scene features Milton’s friend, Sandy, being almost strangled to death by a result of her own generosity. Jules saves her and the execution of Sandy’s interaction to thank Jules will honestly make anyone’s heart sink. If it doesn’t, then your simply heartless. The film is littered with somber moments about death and the depressive lifestyle the elderly live in.
A complaint about the film I had was how the ending fell a bit flat. There is moment where Milton is offered a the chance of a lifetime to leave Earth with Jules, but instead of letting this idea sink for some time with the character it is immediately resolved. Coincidently at the moment the choice of leaving is offered, Milton’s daughter calls him, giving Milton a reason to now stay. Perfect timing. The phone call from his daughter barely hold much weight to it since she already takes the time to visit her father. The call would had a stronger impact if it was coming from his son, offering a resolution to their shaky relationship. Now the entire subplot of his son serves no purpose other than to generate more sympathy for Milton’s character.
The conflict of FBI agents, who busted down Milton’s door after tracking the alien down, vanishes. These agents are snapped out of reality, never to appear again, so it is unknown on whether they even interrogated Milton after he returns home. With a built up conflict like this leading into a weak resolution, it felt as though the creative team did not know how to tie up their own storylines.
It appears as though this is a another flop of a film in a year with substantial flops. This movie somehow has a high budget for a simple plot with minimal locations. The alien ship may have cost some money to build, but it only ever activates twice. Regardless of where this money was funneled, it is nonetheless a shame another quality film has been swept under the rug.
