Jules (Turtletaub, 2023)
A few more of my cinema favourites have made it to home entertainment platforms over the last few weeks.
One that might easily slip under the radar is the delightful alien-visit comedy Jules which features lovely performances all round but especially from Ben Kingsley:
If any other actor turned in a performance like Ben Kingsley does as Milton in Jules we would be talking about awards contention but, for some reason, we are so used to his sheer reliability we risk taking him for granted.
Milton is a senior in a small Pennsylvania town, living alone, occasionally seeing one child (Zoe Winters from Succession) and estranged from the other, his memory is slipping occasionally and the distraction of a flying saucer crashing in his backyard and an alien on his couch are proving to be extra unwelcome distractions.
Neighbours Sandy (Harriet Sansom Harris) and Joyce (very funny Jane Curtin) discover his secret and try and help him keep it.
79-year-old Kingsley is fantastic and the film is full of lovely moments and rarely goes in quite the direction you think it will. Count your cats when you get home.
Where to watch Jules
Aotearoa: Digital rental from AroVision, Apple or Neon
Australia: Digital rental from Apple, Amazon or Telstra
USA: Streaming on Fubo, PAramount+ or Showtime
UK: Digital rental from Apple, Amazon, Sky, Rakuten or Microsoft
