Jules: Aliens are Among Us, and Not All are from Outer Space

By Karen Gordon

Rating: B-

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.

Kingsley plays Milton Robinson, a mild-mannered, elderly widower living a quiet life in a small American town. He’s watched over with some concern by his daughter Denise (Zoe Winters) who helps him do daily things like paying bills and getting groceries. She’s worried that he might be slipping into dementia.

Milton seems unbothered by most things. He routinely shows up at city hall meetings where he repeatedly raises the same ideas in pretty much the same language each time. Those meetings are where we meet a few of his fellow senior citizen neighbours such as Sandy (Harriet Sansom Harris) and Joyce (Jane Curtin), who also petition council on a regular basis.

One night, Milton is woken up by a boom in his backyard. When he goes to check, he discovers that a smallish flying saucer has crashed into his garden, crushing his flowers, the damage a point of major worry. The next time he checks, he is alarmed to see that the occupant of the ship, a wounded ‘grey’ alien, has crawled onto the back patio.

Eventually Milton takes pity on the alien, whom he names Jules (Jade Quon), and brings him into the house. Milton figures out what Jules — who is mute — will eat, and the two sit together on the couch in front of the TV.

At first, Milton tries to keep Jules’s presence a secret, but ultimately both Sandy and Joyce get into Milton’s house. At the same time as all of this is going on, a government agency has tracked an alien ship entering Earth's atmosphere and landing, and agents are working to pinpoint the landing site.

That sets up the only sense of urgency in the film, although not in any way that would make your pulse quicken. The movie, written by Gavin Steckler and directed by Mark Turtletaub, is very low-key —kind of like Milton — and the tone feels too flat, especially when the government agents are on the trail.

Watch Bonnie Laufer’s interview with Jules director Marc Turtletaub

Jules is a bit of a conundrum. There is a sweetness here in the way Sandy and Joyce, each with their own quirks, come together and rally around Milton and Jules. It feeds into a subplot that deals with aging and the loneliness that can come at an age where many feel unseen, unwanted, and purposeless. And thanks to the performances, particularly by the film’s leads, that aspect comes through in a touching way.

Unfortunately, those things are undermined by a storyline that, while full of potential, feels fuzzy. From the beginning, the implication is that Milton is either quietly quirky or slipping into dementia. But there are some odd things here.

For instance, can his neighbours really not see a spaceship sticking out of the ground of Milton’s backyard garden? That and other things beg the question: is Jules real or are we experiencing what’s going on in Milton’s mind? Too many loose ends make this much less satisfying that it might have been.

Jules. Directed by Mark Turbletaub. Written by Gavin Steckler. Starring Sir Ben Kingsley, Harriet Sansom Harris, Jane Curtin, Zoe Winters, and Jade Quon. In theatres August 18.