by Frank Calvillo
Fans of Jerry Lewis will no doubt flock to Max Rose, his return to leading film roles, with gusto and anticipation at the thought of seeing such a presence showcase what legions of fans have continuously loved him for. However, while the film is a far cry from the screen image he won so many admirers with, those who watch Max Rose will discover a new Lewis who manages to say so much with the simplest of looks and gestures that taking your eyes off the screen for even just a moment remains impossible in this heartwarming and elegiac tale.
Max Rose stars Lewis as the titular character, an 80-year-old former pianist who enjoyed a certain amount of fame and a good marriage to his wife Eva (Claire Bloom). In the days following Eva’s death, Max struggles to overcome the grief caused by his loss while also trying to deal with the strained relationship between him and his son Christopher (Kevin Pollak), his overly concerned granddaughter Annie (Kerry Bishe), and a decades-old secret he’s just uncovered about his wife.
Writer/director Daniel Noah’s film wonderfully touches on that sub-genre of cinema where the presence of the dead lingers on in the memories of people who are left to pick up the pieces. It’s that idea which Max Rose is built upon, with Eva and the secret she kept holding Max and their loved ones captive. Noah chooses to relay this in a variety of ways, with the most up-front remaining Eva’s memorial, in which Max expresses his disappointment with the past he and his wife shared. Mostly though, it’s in the character of Eva where Max Rose really finds the engine which carries its characters. As a character, Eva isn’t painted as a saintly presence, but rather as just a genuinely warm individual who touched those around her to such an extent that she still hasn’t left. Her appearances as a spirit are poetic and dreamily surreal and continuously fuel Max as he tries to piece together the puzzle Eva left behind.
Moreover, what Max Rose proves to be about is the acceptance of the life a person has shaped for themselves, for better or worse. This is a movie about reflection and facing one’s relationship with the past and the existence you thought you knew by retracing the steps of the past. Furthermore, the film is about also making peace with the present while there’s still time. Max Rose offers up two great examples in the form of Christopher, whose strained relationship with his father rings complex and true, and in Annie, whom Max must make sure does not give up on a future in love.
Lewis is clearly the main draw for anyone sitting down to watch Max Rose, and he more than delivers. The movie icon performs with such a finely-tuned ease and skill it’s as if he’s never stopped starring in movies. Not known for his dramatic chops, he brings the right kind of depth and emotional range to Max, making him one of his finest screen accomplishments. He’s aided by Pollack, who is at his most sensitive, Bishe, who more than holds her own, and Dean Stockwell, who brings his one-of-a-kind commitment as a figure from the past. None of them touch Bloom, however (seen in flashbacks), who proves such an enchanting presence as Eva, with the moments between her and Lewis proving lovelier beyond words.
Admittedly, Max Rose loses a bit of its charm when the script sends its main character into a retirement home. However, thanks to many attributes, including stunning music from the likes of the legendary Alan and Marilyn Bergman, the film’s magic never stops. The ending of Max Rose may be seen as sad for some people. However, it only serves to further the film’s overall theme of always remembering to appreciate the here and now as well as everyone who’s a part of it.
