They Are in Awe of JULES

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres from director Marc Turtletaub and Bleecker Street is the story of outer space and inner emotions all brought on by JULES.

Milton (Ben Kingsley) is a local elderly man who lives life on his own terms. Going to city council meetings to making sure his street and city name suggestions are heard, he spends his days in routine. Daughter Denise (Zoe Winters) stops by occasionally to see how Milton is up to. Also, neighbor Sandy (Harriet Sansom Harris) enjoys her moments with Milton although he seems oblivious.

One fine day, Milton’s routine is interrupted by the crash landing of a space ship in his beloved garden. He is surprised finding a small alien who is hurt and makes himself comfortable on the porch and then inside Milton’s house. Deciding to try and help, Milton discovers that his unofficial roommate likes apples. He tries to tell daughter Denise about it all but she is convinced that her father’s medical issues are more severe than she thought.

Sandy gets wind of his story about an alien in his garden and stops by to discover for herself and she is instantly smitten. So much so that it is given the name Jules. Milton and Sandy decide it is best to keep Jules a secret or, according to Sandy, those in power will do horrible things to Jules.

Wondering what is happening at Milton’s house is nosy neighbor Joyce (Jane Curtin) who also catches on and decides it is better to stay quiet. Their job now is to help Jules fix the broken spacecraft so that he can get away but Jules needs something quite unique to make that happen.

But time is not on their side as eyes and ears are looking for Jules!

Kingsley as Milton is stunning beyond measure. Portraying a widower who passes his time mainly alone, it is clear there is something more happening. With the arrival of Jules, he is intrigued by the greenish/blue friend and sees quite clearly the need to help him get away as soon as possible. That being said, Kingsley’s portrayal is also that of a man who discovers that past issues are still present in his life and friendships are important. Milton is a lovely man at heart and Kingsley makes it happen.

Harris as Sandy clearly cares for Milton and becomes concerned when she hears about what happened at his home. The connection she makes with Jules is that of a woman who has a lot on her mind and no one to share it with. Naming Jules is her way of making a beautiful connection and, importantly, someone to cook for again. Harris is so charming from start to finish.

Curtin as Joyce is the female version of Milton with her open opinion on any matter in front of her with the added uncaring of what anyone else thinks. She also finds herself drawn to Jules (who she calls Gary) and opens up about what is happening in her life. When the time comes for them to part, Curtin’s Joyce shows a side that no one else has been privy too. These three actors combined make one heck of an elderly person!

Jade Quon plays the very quiet character of Jules. Even though Jules doesn’t have a lot to say, shim (she-him) is an amazing listener and has eyes full of compassion. As the days pass, the connection with Milton, Sandy and Joyce becomes moving enough that even Jules cannot help but feel the pull of humanness.

Other cast include Anna George as Dr. North, Donald Paul as Agent Mann, Blair Baker as Diane Strauss, Eric T. Miller as Tim, Teddy Canez as Mayor Martinez and Cody Kostro as Danny.

Bleecker Street is a New York City film company that has brought outstanding films to the public. Their library includes TRUMBO, DENIAL, THE LOST CITY OF Z, BEIRUT, HOTEL MUMBAI, ORDINARY LOVE and THE ROADS NOT TAKEN. For more information on the titles from Bleeker Street please visit www.bleeckerstreetmedia.com.

JULES is such a love story on so many levels. Starting with Milton who is dealing with being a widow, a daughter that can be a tad over protective and a strained relationship with his son, this character finds solace in himself so as to not have to cater to an emotional life. Jules not only shakes the ground of his garden but the foundation of Milton’s life. There is something pretty cool about that happening because what Milton thought was a life inevitable turns into a life of surprising change.

Harris and Curtin offer up their opinions on Jules and are amazing side-kicks for Milton. Seeing Kingsley with these two fine actresses opposite and alien could have been awkwardly done but Turtletaub directs with a big heart and very gentle hands. Of course, this is a story about being people of a certain age and it seems Jules was okay with that, but it is also a story of connection and a life-history that the three humans share.

Jules shimself is sweet, attentive and, yes, slightly alien-ish but in a way that is protective and caring. I refuse to give anything away regarding this awesome alien but know that I wouldn’t mind a crash landing in my garden. Let’s just say I was charmed beyond belief and absolutely adored the ending that almost made me cry and THAT, my friends, is hard to do!

In the end – you won’t believe what just crashed into Milton’s azaleas!

He lives in DALILAND

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres from director Mary Harron and Magnolia Pictures is the tale of one of the 20^th century’s most acclaimed artists who lives in DALILAND.

Salvador Dali (Ben Kingsley) lives in a world all his own in the 1970’s. Along with wife Gala (Barbara Sukowa), he makes his art while Gala tries to keep their financial head above water. Coming to be a part of Dali’s world is the young James (Christopher Briney), who becomes his assistant while James also tries to break into the art world.

Attempting to help Dali create art and prepare for a new gallery show, James discovers that the world he wants to become part of is filled with pitfalls. Assisting Dali, he become aware that the artist is one way in public and another in private but both are disjointed and have history.

Yet, James wants to protect Dali from anyone or anything that gets in the way of his being able to create more astounding art. When the relationship between Dali and Gala call into question loyalty, James begins to understand what he has become involved in.

Art is not always a beautiful thing.

Kingsley as Dali puts in every bit of his ability as a wonderful actor into this character. He shows us the intricate, complicated and traumatic relationship with wife Gala. She is his reason for basically living and Kingsley shows that from each up and down the film shows. It is clear that Dali was a complex man but also seething with insecurities, issues and the inability to see the inappropriateness in the treatment of those around him.

Sukowa as Gala is a woman who, on the outside, seems quite removed from Dali’s antics. As the story digs deeper, there is so much more to her. Keeping Dali where he needs to be requires emotional acrobatics that Sukowa makes look effortless. Even when Gala has had just about enough, she is never loud, just sure of what needs to be done and how to make that happen.

Briney as Christopher is about to get a life lesson and crash course in dealing with people in general but mainly a maladjusted artist. In awe that Dali would make him an assistant, he quickly realizes that it is not all he thought it would be. Loving the art is one thing, loving the artist is another and loving when those two things clash is what Briney must reconcile.

Other cast include Avital Lvova as young Gala, Rupert Graves as Captain Moore, Alexander Beyer as Christoffe, Andreja Pejic as Amanda Lear, Mark McKenna as Alex Cooper, Zachary Nachbar-Seckel as Jeff Fenhold, Joella Hinson-King as Donyale Luna, Merce Ribot as Rosa, Jack Shalloo as Demond Carter, Gavin Spokes as Gilbert Hamond and Suki Waterhouse as Ginesta.

Magnolia Pictures is responsible for such releases as SLAY THE DRAGON, JOHN LEWIS: Good Trouble, the crime thriller THE WHISTLERS, documentaries such as THE PIECES I AM and films such as the directorial debut of Italian filmmaker Filippo Meneghetti. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.magpictures.com.

The film had its world premiere in September of 2022 at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. It has been nominated by The Golden Linden Aware for director Mary Harron at the Golden Linden International Film Festival.

DALILAND is an interesting and thoughtful look at the life of a man who clearly could not be left to his own devices, even his art was under watchful eyes. Dealing with a magazine rack full of issues, Kingsley navigates through them with the skill of a master painter – oh wait, he is! The emotional roller coaster had me dizzy which probably best describes Dali’s life.

The filming is actually quite wonderful as director Harron captures the constant free-falls of Dali’s life. As a film about art and an artist, the colors of the film are vibrant and sullen at the same time which is also characteristic of the lives in the film. What the story does is consistently leave the viewer guessing as to what is going to happen next.

The ending is absolutely jaw droppingly sad yet, there is a space in the brain that says there was no place else the story of Salvador Dali could go.

In the end – he is Dali!

OPERATION FINALE is a Story of Justice

Jeri Jacquin

On Bluray/DVD and Digital from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and director Chris Weitz based on a true story tells us about the historic OPERATION FINALE.

Peter Malkin (Oscar Isaac) is part of an Israeli secret agents who have one goal – to track down and arrest SS officer Adolf Eichmann (Ben Kingsley). They want him as he is known as the mastermind of what is known as the ‘Final Solution’ and the Jewish people in concentration camps during World War II.

In Argentina, Sylvia Hermann (Haley Lu Richardson) is a young woman who begins dating a boy named Klaus Eichmann (Joe Alwyn). Klaus tells her family that he has been raised by his uncle Ricardo after his father died. It is Sylvia’s father who believes that he is onto something. When a photograph is relayed back to Israel of Uncle Ricardo, Malkin is brief on the operation to bring Eichmann back to Israel to stand trail for war crimes.

Along with Hanna Elian (Melanie Laurent), Isser Harel (Lior Raz), Rafi Eitan (Nick Kroll) and others, the group come to Buenos Aires, Argentina searching. They set up and prepare the best way to capture Eichmann and get him to an airplane covertly. Malkin has a lot to prove as they thought they were capturing the same man in Austria and it went wrong.

Capturing Eichmann is one thing, having him at a safe house until he can be extracted is another. Son Klaus and wife Vera (Greta Scacchi) are doing everything possible to find Eichmann. That means the clock is ticking to get a confession from Eichmann about who he really is.

Malkin finds himself talking with Eichmann when it is his turn to watch the prisoner. Everyone else in the safe house finds taking care of the former SS officer distasteful so Malkin takes their shifts as he wants to know why and believes he can convince Eichmann to sign the document.

Klaus has brought down every person to bear in order to find his father - even throwing both Sylvia and her father in jail. Torturing the young girl doesn’t seem to faze Klaus enough to stop it but what she tells him put them all on the hunt for the safe house. Every move is becoming ever more dangerous with lives at stake.

Time is running out and the race is on to get Eichmann to the plane and to stand trial for his war crimes.

Golden Globe winner Isaac as Malkin is a man with memories that make it difficult at times to do what needs doing. When an earlier mission to capture Eichmann turned chaotic, it is clear that Malkin wants to make sure the mission goes according to a well laid plan. When Eichmann is their prisoner at the safe house, Isaac’s character takes it upon himself to get to ‘know’ the man with the goal of a confession. That means telling Eichmann very personal things in the hope that the former SS officer will trust in him. There comes a moment of cat and mouse that I thought was going to go horribly wrong. Isaac is proving time and time again to be such a stellar actor and the roles he chooses are smart and poignant, OPERATION FINALE is one such role.

Academy Award winner Kingsley as Eichmann is absolutely stunning and I say that because I have been an admirer of this actor long before he was Sir Ben Kingsley. He has the unique ability to be any character he chooses, meaning good characters and not-so-nice characters yet I am riveted to see where he takes the story. This film is no exception to that rule as Kingsley starts out in character defiance but inevitably realizes the situation he is in portraying it masterfully.

Laurent as Hanna agrees to be the medic for the mission but refuses to give Eichmann an ounce of compassion. This is the second film dealing with Nazi’s as she was the French cinema owner Shoshana in INGLORIOUS BASTERDS in 2009. Kroll as Eitan is goal oriented to get the mission done swiftly and needs the confession to make that happen.

Other cast include Michael Aronov as Zvi Aharoni, Ohad Knoller as Ephraim Ilani, Greg Hill as Moshe Tabor, Torben Liebrecht as Yaakov Gat, Michael Hernandez as Dani Shalom, Pepe Rapazote as Carlos Fuldner, Haley Lu Richardson as Sylvia Hermann and Peter Strauss as Lothar Hermann.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us all to experience and re-experience in our own home theatres. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

The Bonus Features on Bluray and DVD include Inside the Operations: Cast, filmmakers and crew discuss working together, filing in Buenos Aires, and their collective approach to telling such a historically significant story and Feature Commentary with Director Chris Weitz.

OPERATION FINALE is an intense thriller in a story that absolutely needed to be told. The film is stellar and what makes it so is the cast who take on their characters with depth and intensity. As the story unfolds it becomes clear that not only is there much to fear if they get caught but the fact that Eichmann wasn’t the only Nazi in Buenos Aires!

The scenes between Isaacs and Kingsley are pure brilliance in their exchanges and I couldn’t take my eyes of the screen. Both of these actors have brought so much to the screen through the years and OPERATION FINALE is going to be a film that sticks with me for a very long time.

In the end – after World War II the mission for justice began!

WALKING WITH THE ENEMY Shares a Moving Story on DVD

Jeri Jacquin

Coming this week to DVD and Digital HD from director Mark Schmidt and 20^th Century Fox Home Entertainment is a film based on a true story when WALKING WITH THE ENEMY.

It is World War II when Elek Cohen (Jonas Armstrong), a young man who is aware that the Germans are moving into villages all around them. Going away to be part of a work crew, their treatment is nothing short of horrible.

When Elek walks away with his friend Miklos (Simon Dutton), they return to their village in Budapest only to discover none of their family can be found. They have disappeared and a new family has taken over the house.

They learn that the families may have been moved west but no one really knows for sure. Told they are in Yellow Star houses, Elek finds Hannah (Hannah Tointon) who tells them Jozsef (Simon Kunz) is there.

Told there is a place up in the mountains called Waldensee where they might be. It is hard to know. Needing Schutz-pass, they are told it is the only way to be safe. But, when Hannah is chased home by German soldiers, the unthinkable happens in a series of horrific events.

Regent Horthy (Ben Kingsley) of the town is under pressure by Col. Skorzeny (Burn Gorman), a man who doesn’t reason at all. Niklos Horthy (Shane Taylor) tries to back up his father but to no avail.

Elek is taken in by Miklos, Hanna’s Uncle who gives him a job delivering the precious Schutz-passes. Soon Col. Skorzeny announces that these passes will no longer be valid putting the Hungarian Jews in even more jeopardy.

When Elek has to rescue his friend from the Germans, they dig up a suit belonging to soldiers and make a daring rescue like nothing that has been seen before. When an armistice comes it doesn’t stop the Germans for attacking. Now Regent Horthy does what he must to protect Hungarian citizens but to no avail.

The Germans begin to tear the city apart and its Jewish citizens are rounded up. Elek decides the only way to help is by putting on the German uniform and using it to their advantage. Saving those he can he knows that Eichmann continues to deport more and more Jews. The Glass House were they are taken too is overflowing with those they have saved.

When the trains are cut off, Elek knows there has to be another way to get them out. Walking on the road are those who are holding Swiss passes and when a German convoy comes upon them, he knows not all can be saved. The Germans attack the Glass House and take everyone into custody but as they come under attack from the Russians, Elek is still in the German uniform.

He will never stop trying to save as many as he can.

Armstrong as Elek is devastated that his family was gone when he returns to the village. Watching all the Jews around him go through the same, his plan to save them by wearing the German uniform is as dangerous as one would imagine. Armstrong gives his character such sadness yet a strength that comes across so genuinely.

Kingsley as Horthy is a small role but important in that he wanted to protect all the citizens of his country. Trying to keep the Germans at bay for as long as possible, it was only a matter of time before even his attempts would fail. I enjoyed his performance as I always do.

Dutton as Miklos is of the same heart as Elek in his passion for saving as many lives as he can working with others who sacrifice everything – even their lives. Kunz as Jozsef does what he can and his sacrifice includes a beard.

Gorman as Col. Skorzeny is as vicious as he can be. Pushing his way past Regent Horthy, he doesn’t care what anyone thinks when putting Eichmann in charge of the Jewish population. Gorman has the perfect appearance of someone to be afraid of!

Tointon as Hannah is the one thing Elek has to keep him whole. She tries to stay strong for him, even at the cost of losing her own family. Tointon is a bright spot in the middle of darkness.

Other cast includes, William Hope as Carl Lutz, Flora Longhurst as Rachel, Simon Hepworth as President Szalasi, Andrew Brooke as Capt. Kovarcz, Charles De’Ath as Lt. Krieger, Mark Wells as Ferenc Jacobson, Mark Wingett as Sorenzi and Charles Hubbell as Adolf Eichmann.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings award-winning global product and new entertainment to DVD, Bluray, and Digital HD. There amazing collection offers fans an opportunity to expand their own home libraries with the best films. To discover what other titles they have please visit www.fox.com.

WALKING WITH THE ENEMY is a story that not only teaches history of a dark time but what human beings are capable of. Elek is just one of so very many who put their lives at risk to save anyone they could. That is what makes these story’s that come to screen so very powerful.

The film is inspired by the story of Pinchas Rosenbaum who dealt with the German occupation of Hungary and the towns and village of Budapest toward the end of World War II.

WALKING WITH THE ENEMY is love, loyalty, family, community all rolled in to self-sacrifice and dignity to always do the right thing. That makes this film a teachable moment for us all.

In the end – a hero emerges!