Do you believe in aliens? After some recent headlines, you never really know.
Sir Ben Kingsley might after filming his latest movie, “Jules.”
What would you do if an UFO crash-landed in your yard? Make nice with the aliens, of course.
It’s basic space etiquette. And that’s what happens in the sci-fi dramedy, ‘Jules.’
And by the way, these interviews were conducted prior to SAG-AFTRA strike
Sir Ben Kingsley plays Milton, a lonely widower in “Jules.” Lonely until he finds a friend, this alien.
Sir Ben Kingsley: “It is about love. It is about friendship. It is to a certain extent about loss. But again, it’s also about finding and redemption as well. This rather invisible man is, is, is captivated by the most extraordinary sequence of events.”
Extraordinary alright. Extraterrestrial too.
Sir Ben Kingsley: “I have played figures that stand like giants on history’s horizon. To play a man who almost hasn’t lived until this thing happens to him towards the end of his life was actually delightful.”
But, the secret of his out-of-this-world visitor soon gets out in the dramedy, directed by Marc Turtletaub.
Marc Turtletaub: “All those elements put together, which is science-fiction a bit, which is humor, which is pathos, which is a buddy movie about people coming together later in life, and then a 4-foot,11-inch alien.”
Jade Quon play’s the new roomie, who apparently loves to snack. See? Our galaxies already have something in common.
Sir Ben Kingsley: “Is one of the most extraordinary performances I’ve ever seen on a film set or on screen. Her discipline, her commitment to that character.”
These friends seem mighty confident Jules doesn’t want to eat them or something.
Sir Ben Kingsley: “Jules is almost the encounter, the love he’s never had. There’s something in Milton’s life that’s missing. I hope this happens to all of us. And maybe it does. Sooner or later, the universe says, ‘I know what’s missing. Here you are.'”
And, despite this sci-fi story-line, the film feels down to earth.
Marc Turtletaub: “We didn’t want to play anything for the joke. So I think that was the key. There was an agreement among all of us that this should be played in a very grounded real way.”
Sir Ben Kingsley: “This is a life affirming film. Um, and I feel that people, perhaps who see it will walk away a little closer to each other than they were before they saw the film.
‘Jules’ hits theaters on Thursday.
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