I think we are entering the era of the last actual A lister celebrities as they rapidly age and are replaced with a majority television oriented group of actors. With age is coming either two options: they go into the terrible comedy films that are aimed more at children, or they go into the more artistic, indie side of filmmaking with more defined, unique roles. Bryan Cranston in particular is an actor we all know from either two massively popular shows: Malcolm in the Middle, and Breaking Bad. These two performances were vastly different from each other, and it was already made clear that Cranston has what it takes to act in a bit of everything. With age, however, are roles more limited? To some degree, they are. Even Robert Redford's send-off was a film about a retiring and living life how you want. With the limited roles comes the potential for hit or miss stories. But Jerry & Marge Go Large was a fun little surprise, and one that had managed to escape me for quite a while. Cranston, of course, managed to deliver greatly.
Now, don't get confused! Jerry & Marge Go Large is by no means a reboot or sequel to Kevin & Perry Go Large! Jokes aside, this is a fun, wholesome narrative. A film that has a bit of everything but surprisingly ended on a positive note (don't worry, this isn't a major spoiler or really a spoiler at all). Even with its theme, I couldn't help but feel things would go south and that this would be a film of heartbreak and challenge in pursuit of self-discovery in old age. I think one of the things I liked the most about the film was in fact that it didn't end up being a bleak story in which a old couple get beaten down by the system. Instead, it was a nice indie film that hit all the right marks. When I say indie, I don't mean overly artistic arthouse indie, I mean lower budget, simplistic, but effective. I really liked it. And I haven't seen a film like this in a while that manages to be simple without too much drama and pulling at the emotions.
Jerry & Marge Go Large
The idea of old age is often presented as a time of immense boredom, in which a person has finally managed to obtain their freedom through retirement but is now faced with the existential question of "What next?" While I don't usually like this idea as it presents characters that have never truly lived and only considered work as life, Jerry & Marge Go Large actually does look at its protagonist Jerry as a man that really hasn't done much, and has lost his way both in his marriage and with his safe knowledge of statistics through mathematics. This safe life has led to one of little challenge, until he discovers that in one specific location, it is actually statistically certain that he can win at the lottery; this is by no means of illegal nature, and merely a statistical flaw that means buying large numbers of tickets in that area will inevitably yield some winning tickets. Jerry, suddenly occupied by this, convinces his wife to join him in this as they both look to rekindle the spark of their marriage.
Jerry and Marge begin a small company that uses the town's people as investors in this idea, pooling together money as their winnings begin to take off. Though there is a Harvard student that seems to also have managed to catch on and makes things a lot more risky for them both. The film takes on a small rivalry between old and young, humble and greedy. But there is little drama between the two, and I quite liked how this was done. It didn't dramatise their rivalry in any over the top manner, but gave the film that extra edge it needed to show the reasons behind this sudden decision. And ultimately, it's one of self-discovery still. A manner of giving back to those around him, to rediscover the love for his wife and the importance of that connection now that retirement is present; something Marge expresses great interest in, as something she has waited for for a long time so that they finally have the rest of their lives together. This is where the film felt more wholesome: a man and his wife in their older years starting a project together that aims to help those around them, while discovering the things that now really matter with their newfound time.
There isn't a whole lot more to the story. A lot of the build up is how Jerry manages to convince people around him to join him in this venture, regular people and sometimes pretty much strangers; this includes a currently divorced clerk played by Rainn Wilson, who many may recognise from The Office as Dwight. These side characters offer a bit of depth to the world and the surroundings, giving the film that extra room that is needed to fill in the gaps, but they never feel forced or unrealistic. Many of them are found in everyday workplaces, regular people just going about their days. It gives the film a very small town feeling in which most people know each other and there is some degree of community. Some of the comedy comes from these characters also, but this isn't a film I would really consider to be a comedy, it certainly isn't going out of its way in attempt to make you laugh. Just a few lighthearted moments here and there.
And despite being a relatively small indie film, I'd say it looks pretty good. The lighting is colourful and bright, with very believable but good looking environments in terms of the set design. It definitely didn't have a cheap look to ant of it. In terms of the directing and cinematography, I'd argue it barely resembled a lower budget indie film. It felt more like the kind of blockbuster title you'd find in the cinema over a decade ago, before films in cinemas all had to be huge epics. I'm quite glad I managed to come across it thanks to the recommendation from someone. It seems films like this are more like gems these days, in which they aren't trying to be more than they need to. Just telling a story, not taking up too much of your time, and then moving on. A nice film to watch any day of the week to just relax and have a story told to you that isn't full of too many emotions, or too loud with action thrown in your face.
Of course, mostly carried by Cranston, who still manages to be such an enjoyable, charismatic actor. Even as the years roll in, nothing seems to be stopping him. I think I may have to look out for more titles with him!
