Max Rose

Memory is a funny thing, it ebbs and flows with one's mood and circumstances and so does perspective. In Max Rose, we meet a recent widower (played by Jerry Lewis), who finds reason to believe that his wife of 65 years, Eva (Claire Bloom) was in love with another man. He declares at her funeral that the marriage "was a lie." Max, who is already a cantankerous old man, becomes even more recalcitrant after his loss and engaging in a revisionist journey wherein he lets his own demons pollute his mind. Lewis, in his first feature role in more than 20 years, does well in presenting the depression and anger that Max suffers, and it is perhaps the most redeeming quality of the film because something else is still missing. Read more of my review here: https://indieethos.com/2016/09/23/max- rose/

MAX ROSE must get distribution. If/when it does, Jerry Lewis will win an Oscar for Best Actor.

If you only know Lewis as the icon rubber-faced "HEY LAAAAADY" comic of films like THE NUTTY PROFESSOR and CINDERFELLA, you are in for a delightful surprise. Even if you loved Jerry in Scorsese's brilliant KING OF COMEDY, you'll still be shocked by the depth and delicacy of his performance in the title role, a man whose life begins to unravel after the death of his beloved wife of 60+ years, Eva -- beautifully played by Clare Bloom.

Lewis has been prepping for his role for more than 3/4 of a century and he lights up the screen. Seeing his work here makes me wish he'd done more than the slapstick comedies that made him an icon. He's a damned fine dramatic actor.

Writer-Director Daniel Noah has crafted a story that is at once tender, heartbreaking, honest, textured and captivating. It is that rarest of things - an actual "movie" with a plot and compelling characters.

Noah allows Jerry to pay subtle homage to his own past without overshadowing the heart, the drama or the honesty of Max's odyssey.

The supporting cast is excellent, notably a group of 80-somethings including Mort Sahl and Rance Howard.

Daniel Noah is a filmmaker to be reckoned with. I hope this film brings him the success he deserves.

Although the movie is 79 minutes long,the plot is still kinda slow and there are many irrelevant scenes.Storyline and flashbacks that include Max Rose and his wife are nice but they are not brethtaking.All in all I would rate it 6.5/10 .

What a beautiful movie.....wonderful approach of old age and its implications. Recommended.

Back in 2013, Jerry Lewis did something many people never expected… he made a film. Think about it…87 years old and making yet another movie after a long absence from the big screen. Millions of fans about the world were eager to see this film and apparently it made a big splash at Cannes. However, oddly, the movie sat on the shelf for three more years—with no release and folks wondering what happened to the picture. Then, inexplicably, in late 2016 the film was released….but only to a tiny number of theaters! Why?! Why the long delay and then why the incredibly limited release?! Here where I live in Florida, I couldn't find any place to see this film and I was really anxious to see "Max Rose". Thank goodness we can all finally see the film, as "Max Rose" finally, finally, finally is out on Netflix and you can stream this excellent film in the comfort of your own home.

The most important thing you need to know about Max Rose is that it's not like any of Lewis' other films. It's definitely not a comedy and it stars Lewis but was written and directed by Daniel Noah. So folks hoping to see a Nutty Professor style film will be terribly disappointed. As for me, I didn't mind at all, as I've always thought that Lewis' dramatic roles have been among his best— such as in "The King of Comedy" and the amazingly good made for TV movie, "Fight for Life".

The other thing you really need to know about "Max Rose" is that it's very slow and deliberately paced. It clearly is not for everybody and plays much more like an indie film than anything from Hollywood. So if you are looking for pratfalls, laughs and excitement, then you might want to pick another movie. I actually enjoyed the movie very much but must admit there were a few slower and even painful patches.

The story is about a man who, naturally, is named Max Rose (Lewis). The film begins with the death of his wife of 65 years and Max is beside himself with grief as well as not knowing what to do with himself. He also soon becomes very confused and angry when he finds something which would seem to indicate that early in their marriage, she'd been unfaithful to him. So now, on top of his loneliness and major upheaval of his life, Max is forced to come to terms with who his wife might have really been---all coinciding with his being moved to a retirement community.

I enjoyed this movie for many reasons. Foremost is that movies tend to ignore the elderly and their problems…as if, somehow, by not thinking or talking about this we might somehow be able to avoid old age ourselves. I love that "Max Rose" confronts aging and death head on and never flinches…and I really respect that. Additionally, Lewis was great in a very underplayed and introspective sort of performance. In a word, he was believable. And finally, it's just so nice to see Jerry Lewis back on the screen and makes you wish more of our aging stars were not only in our hearts but doing what they love most…working and entertaining us all.