Feb. 28: Jules

Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024
7 pm @ Galaxy Cinemas, Sault Ste. Marie, ON

Director: Marc Turtletaub
Denmark/Greenland/Canada 2023
English, Danish, Kalaallisut, and Inuktitut; 87 minutes
Rated: PG-13 for strong language

Milton (Ben Kingsley) lives a quiet life of routine in a small town. Each day blends seamlessly into the next, until a UFO and its extra-terrestrial passenger crash land in his backyard. Before long, Milton develops a close relationship with the alien he calls Jules. Things become complicated when two neighbors (Harriet Sansom Harris and Jane Curtin) discover Jules, and the government closes in. A heartwarming dramedy about finding meaning and connection, Jules is a gem that will leave you with a smile and a renewed appreciation for the beauty found in life’s most ordinary moments.

What sounds like the same old story is actually one of the year’s most pleasant surprises.
Rafer Guzman, Newsday

The picture is elevated by its handling of melancholy themes of ageing and loneliness, and a suberb gruff-yet-vulnerable performance from Kingsley. Wendy Ide, Observer (UK)

Sensitive, intelligent, sweet, and presented with considerable integrity, right down to the direction, which is scrupulous in not showing anything that doesn’t actually need to be seen.
Matt Zoller Seitz, RogerEbert.com