Review: 'Jules' is all about heart, humanity

Last month, former military officials testified before Congress about their experiences with UFOs or "unidentified aerial phenomena," and suggested that the U.S. government knows more about potential alien life than they are letting on to the public.

It was blockbuster news, especially for the "terminally online" population, and during a long, hot summer filled with climate dread and economic woes, it added another element to our collective existential anxiety — or maybe a bit of hope, an escapist fantasy.

It also lends some relevance to Marc Turtletaub's gentle dramedy "Jules," about a lonely older man befriending an alien who crashes in his backyard.

The crash comes as a shock, but it's a welcome jolt to the system for Milton (Ben Kingsley), who occupies his days in the small town of Boonton, Pa., by offering public comment at the local city council meetings, and enduring the worrying of his harried daughter Denise (Zoe Winters), who has concerns about his cognitive abilities. When the extraterrestrial visitor crashes into his azaleas, Milton calls 911, and brings it up to the supermarket cashier, but no one believes him, because they're accustomed to writing Milton off.

In the script by Gavin Steckler, this extreme scenario offers the opportunity to explore the ways in which elderly people are written off, ignored or otherwise banished to the margins of society. Milton gets away with it simply because no one is paying attention.

The only folks who do take notice are Milton's fellow city council meeting regulars: Sandy (Harriet Sansom Harris) and Joyce (Jane Curtin), who discover the alien Milton has been harboring, and join him in befriending the silent gray creature. They feed the alien apples and name their new friend Jules, and attempt to keep the secret contained, because they know "what happens to those little guys in movies."

Indeed, a parallel subplot features a government search for the crashed "weather satellite," where techs in low-lit command centers scan the airwaves for evidence of the alien, and stern officials dispatch "Men in Black"-style agents in pairs of two. The dramatic tone and style of this section mimics alien-invasion action movies, and contrasts with the bucolic vibe of Milton's home in mild Boonton.

What lends "Jules" its tender humor is Kingsley's straightforward, almost deadpan delivery and his performance as Milton reacting forthrightly to such extraordinary circumstances. The material is high-concept but stretched thin (at barely 90 minutes, it somehow overstays its welcome).

The moral metaphor about the elderly as outsiders is not complex but it is deeply felt, thanks to the cast of Kingsley, Sansom Harris and Curtin, who elevate what's on the page.

"Jules" proves a fine showcase for these three actors. Kingsley consistently disappears into his performances with astonishingly chameleonic skill, and he doesn't rest on his laurels here. But it's been too long since Sansom Harris and Curtin had such substantial roles, and both are compelling whether Sandy is sharing family photos with Jules, or Joyce is belting out "Free Bird." Jules' "understanding eyes" and lack of verbal communication tend to inspire confessions from these new friends.

Aliens have been an eternal obsession for humanity, but "Jules" utilizes the alien encounter not to explore the possibilities of extraterrestrial life but to paint a portrait of life on Earth. It's a simple tale, simply told, but with a lot of heart and humanity at the center of it all.

'Jules'
2.5 stars out of 4
Rated: PG-13 for strong language.
Where: In theaters.