Review: ‘JULES’ provides a sweet perspective amid alien frenzy.

JULES

What a month aliens are having! If Marc Turtletaub’s Jules had debuted any other time of year, it might not have resonated nearly as loudly. But as it stands, it premiers amongst a swirl of government hearings that may make some believe, more than ever, that we are not alone in the universe. Spielberg wishes he had this kind of publicity for E.T. Jules provides a welcome vision for skeptics and believers alike.

Ben Kingsley stars as Milton Robinson, a melancholy widower going through the motions in a quiet Pennsylvania town. He attends town halls, watches tv, and tends to his garden. The only break in his routine seems to be occasional visits from his daughter, Denise (Zoë Winters). A son is mentioned, but only barely.

Then a UFO crashes in Milton’s backyard.

After unsuccessfully trying to raise the alarm, Milton gets to know his new neighbor, the silent creature (Jade Quon) who is eventually given the titular name. The alien eventually comes to greatly influence Milton, along with two other women who regularly attend the town hall (Harriet Sansom Harris and Jade Quon) Silent and largely immobile, the alien serves as a blank canvas upon which the others broadcast their hopes, questions, and fears.

As compared to our current media environment, Jules’ vision of our interaction with aliens is refreshing delightful, if not a little far-fetched. Nobody seems particularly threatened by the alien, nor the alien by them. In fact, calm would be the best way to sum up reactions on both sides. While there are some darker themes that emerge throughout the film, they are brief. At its core, this is a sweet and thoughtful film.

The performances are universally warm and thoughtful. Kingsley’s Milton is too gruff at first, but quickly reveals layers. He blossoms as his discovery brings new people into his life. Harriet Sansom Harris is a marvel as Sandie, radiating a warmth tinged with sadness. Jane Curtin’s comedic timing continues to age like a fine wine.

Jules is a perfect film for today’s fascination with the idea of aliens. Everyone is looking at the news and asking “What’s out there?”. Jules’ introspective focus answers that big question, but also suggests that it is what’s going on inside us that continues to matter the most.


*Winner: Audience Award – 2023 Sonoma International Film Festival*
 
Directed by Marc Turtletaub (Puzzle)
Written by Gavin Steckler (“Review”)
Starring: Ben Kingsley (GandhiSchindler’s List), Harriet Sansom Harris (Licorice Pizza),  Zoe Winters (“Succession”), Jade Quon (Transformers: The Last Knight) and Jane Curtin (“3rd Rock From the Sun”)
Produced by Debbie Liebling, p.g.a., Andy Daly, Michael B. Clark, p.g.a., Alex Turtletaub, p.g.a., and Marc Turtletaub, p.g.a.

JULES will open in the following Los Angeles theaters next Friday, August 11:


AMC The Americana 18
322 Americana Way, Glendale, CA 91210

AMC Century City 15
10250 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90067

AMC Citywalk Stadium 19
100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608

AMC The Grove 14
189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Regal Sherman Oaks
15301 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
 
*Please note, this list of theaters is partial and will be updated.

Review: ‘EMILY’ is a sensual and complex tale of loss and genius.


EMILY imagines Emily Brontë’s own Gothic story that inspired her seminal novel, “Wuthering Heights.” Haunted by the death of her mother, Emily struggles within the confines of her family life and yearns for artistic and personal freedom, and so begins a journey to channel her creative potential into one of the greatest novels of all time.


EMILY shares the part-fictional story of a brilliant writer whose life and loss of love inspired one of the greatest novels of all time.

Wuthering Heights fans will recognize the inspiration in Frances O’Connor‘s screenplay. Sibling and familial dynamics loom large, as does jealousy. A myriad of topics appears in the script; grief, individualism, and life in the arts. Emily shirks gender norms and yet yearns for the approval of her Father. Betrayal, morality, lust, defiance, sibling rivalry, adoration, and spite play keen roles in EMILY. A particularly sharp monologue serves as a Freudian confessional. It is brilliant and heartbreaking.

Nanu Segal’s cinematography is both visually striking and emotionally impactful. The score is chill-inducing, ethereal, and classic all at once. Emily contains one of the most gloriously choreographed love scenes. Two particular moments in Sam Sneade‘s editing were particularly effective. First, when Weightman and Emily discuss their inspiration in writing, and second when William first reads Emily’s poem. These subtle choices are massive emotional shifts in the narrative. Bravo.

Fionn Whitehead plays Branwell Brontë with the vibrancy of a firecracker. He is a delightful foil for Mackey. Their connection is undeniable. Oliver Jackson-Cohen is Mr. Weightman. Battling societal morality and love, Jackson-Cohen gives a stunning performance. His intuition and chemistry with Mackey are explosive.

Emma Mackey is perfection. The script allows her to play the full spectrum of human emotion. She is vulnerable, anxious, fearless, defiant, and endlessly passionate. Emily’s curiosity for life and experience gives Mackey the freedom to immerse herself in the role. She nails it.

EMILY is every English Lit major’s fantasy. Emily is an iconic feminist role model, walking the thin line between relatable and remarkable. Frances O’Connor gives audiences a heroine to admire and aspire to be.


Bleecker Street will release EMILY
in select theatres February 17, 2023


Directed by: Frances O’Connor
Written by: Frances O’Connor
Produced by: Piers Tempest, Robert Connolly, David Barron
Cast: Emma Mackey, Fionn Whitehead, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Alexandra Dowling,
Adrian Dunbar, Amelia Gething, and Gemma Jones


Rated R | 130 minutes

Facebook: @BleeckerStFilms
Twitter: @bleeckerstfilms
Instagram: @bleeckerstfilms

#EmilyMovie


 

Review: Based on a harrowing true story, ‘Breaking’ showcases John Boyega in an award-worthy performance.

BREAKING

*A version of this review originally appeared on AWFJ.org. To see more of their coverage of Breaking click here!*


Director Abi Damaris Corbin brings to life the true story of Brian Brown-Easley. John Boyega plays the real-life ex-Marine who, in a last-ditch effort to get the money the VA owes him, threatens to blow up a Wells Fargo with two female managers inside with him. Breaking is an intense thriller that keeps your heart in your throat from beginning to end. It is one of the most extraordinary stories of principle I’ve ever seen.

Performances across the board are magnificent. The women in the film elevate the complexities. Connie Britton is Lisa Larson, a news producer with whom Easley speaks in great detail. Like all of her roles, she is a solid addition to the cast. Olivia Washington plays Cassandra Easley, Brian’s ex-wife. A woman in an unthinkable crisis attempting to protect their daughter, Kiah, Washington is fantastic.

Selenis Leyva plays bank teller Rosa Diaz. She is the audience. Her fear is palpable. Coming from her role on Orange is the New Black, Leyva swaps prison sass for an entirely different brand of vulnerability. Nicole Beharie is a grounding force in Breaking. Her calm strength reminds you to take a breath between scenes. Her arc is breathtaking.

In one of his final roles, Michael Kenneth Williams plays Sargent Eli Bernard, the police negotiator. Williams’ relatable nature is of utmost importance. His chemistry with Boyega is imperative.

John Boyega presents the audience with a masterclass of human desperation. Each beat screams off the screen, even in his silence. This man has clear signs of PTSD, but his sincerity and circumstance have you rooting for him. The emotional nuance blew me away as Boyega is simultaneously patient and commanding. This performance deserves every award possible. You cannot ignore it.

Abi Damaris Corbin and cowriter Kwame Kwei-Armah understood the stakes in telling this story with urgency and respect. The social commentary about this country’s despicable treatment of our veterans could not be louder. Breaking is a story of one man’s dignity, but it is also an undeniable megaphone for tens of thousands of men and women being placed on the back burner every day. The system is disgraceful. Shockingly, these incidents aren’t more frequent.

Equally as relevant is that this story did not need to play out this way. Beharie’s character speaks directly to this issue, asking Easley how long she has to keep her son away from the news stories. Suspects of color are never treated the same way as white individuals. Breaking is yet another glaring example of racism. The final minutes of the film will rattle your soul.


In Theaters August 26th, 2022

 

Review: ‘MASS’ is a stunning master class in writing and performance.

MASS

Years after an unspeakable tragedy tore their lives apart, two sets of parents (Jason Isaacs and Martha Plimpton, Reed Birney and Ann Dowd) agree to talk privately in an attempt to move forward. In Fran Kranz’s writing and directing debut, he thoughtfully examines their journey of grief, anger and acceptance by coming face-to-face with the ones who have been left behind.


In Mass, indie genre actor Fran Kranz steps into the writer-director role with an ease that is mind-boggling. It’s one of the most stunning feature debuts I’ve ever witnessed. The script is impeccably researched. As a mother who shakes each time a breaking news headline pops up on my phone, as a senior in high school when Columbine occurred, Mass hits on an entirely different level. Kranz helps us see the unseeable. He carefully weaves small pieces of information into a quilt so heavy we are left breathless. There is nothing sugarcoated about Mass. It’s one of the most intimate and emotionally accosting films I’ve ever experienced.

Jason Isaacs takes a logical approach as Jay. The arc of Kranz’s writing allows Isaacs to break this role wide open. It was akin to watching a teapot slowly come to a boil. Ann Dowd plays Linda. She is gentle, hesitant, and genuine in her grief and guilt. It feels like she’s trying too hard to appease and remain compassionate. Dowd’s best moments are when she’s in tune with Reed Birney. As Richard, Birney counters Dowd’s apologetic energy. He is defensive at every turn, to the point of unlikability. It’s his survival mechanism. Birney wears an air of toxic masculinity like a badge of honor. Martha Plimpton plays Gail with thoroughly justifiable guarded anger. She is seeking ownership and responsibility from Linda and Richard. Her pointed line of questioning makes her intentions clear as day. Plimpton owns every glance, sigh, and raw syllable uttered in Mass. It’s an entire emotional journey right before our eyes. It’s a performance that captivates. The chemistry between these four actors is something so rare. They understood the assignment, as they say.

The quiet, lingering moments in the first 20 minutes of the film are meticulously crafted to keep you stewing in anticipation of the inevitable storm to come. The entire film has a low registering hum and a palpable heaviness. As the plot is slowly revealed, politics seep into the conversation. The aftermath of trauma and grief are front and center. The discussion of mental health will echo in many households. The included social pleasantries on either end establish a grounded aspect, but it is that final unexpected 10 minutes that hit hardest. It’s a visceral catharsis. This is a master class in writing and performance. I would watch this on stage in a heartbeat. Mass is a portrait of four parents dealing with unthinkable loss. The most powerful aspect is the understanding that this conversation could be happening any day of the week nowadays. This is an emotional rollercoaster you cannot be prepared for. Mass brilliantly challenges the perspectives of cause and effect, blame, acceptance, forgiveness, life and death, and what parenthood means, deep in your soul. You will walk away changed.


Written & Directed by: Fran Kranz
Starring: Reed Birney, Ann Dowd, Jason Isaacs, and Martha Plimpton


Mass is currently playing in select cities.

Fantasia International Film Festival 2019 review: ‘The Art Of Self-Defense’

Jesse Eisenberg has mastered playing the quirky, whipsmart, douchebag. In The Art of Self-Defense, he plays genuinely sweet, pushover Casey looking to stand up for himself after a brutal attack. He gets a lot more than he bargains for when he signs up for karate lessons. The film is an unapologetic look at toxic masculinity.  It’s over the top dark comedy is a political blowtorch. If you can’t laugh at this film you need the stick removed from your ass. The snark factor is so high that even Casey’s answering machine is kind of a dick. Imogen Poots is equally impactful with both her physical and emotional performance. The humor lies in the absolute seriousness in which the cast says their lines. The film appears to take place sometime in the ’80s by the look of technology and funny enough, the misogynistic dialogue is most likely insanely accurate. Eisenberg is undeniably incredible. He is vulnerable and fearless and funny as hell. The Art of Self-Defense absolutely belongs at Fantasia International Film Festival 2019. The timing of the film is sheer perfection and this fest has the right audience.

THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE