When I first heard that Paramount+ would be coming to the UK, I thought “ffs, another streaming service I might have to pay for…” Imagine my delight then when Sky announced that it would be free to Sky Cinema customers! Can I get a ‘woot woot’?! Although the Paramount+ catalogue over here in England isn’t quite (yet) as extensive as the plethora of stuff you can get in the US, one can only assume they will be updating it as time goes on.
One movie that my wife wanted to see even before we knew we’d be getting this new, swanky streaming service is Jerry & Marge Go Large. Although I’d never heard of it, she introduced it to me via TikTok (as you do), where it seemed to be gaining some traction thanks to one or two interesting looking clips. The film is based on a true story, in which new retiree Jerry (Bryan Cranston) is quite the mathematician, and in his boredom discovers a flaw in a lottery game that means he’s guaranteed to profit every single time. He recruits his long-term wife Marge (Annette Bening), and the couple buy thousands of lottery tickets in the hope that they can help their dwindling town and help it thrive again.
Jerry & Marge Go Large is a film that leans more heavily on its charismatic actors than the substance of its story… but all in all it’s not a bad little made-for-TV movie!
It’s not that the story itself isn’t intriguing; a retired older couple figure out a flaw in a lottery system and rinse it for all it’s worth to make huge profits? That alone is enough to peak interest. However, whilst the film is pretty compact at a neat 90 minutes, there are some pacing issues that make it drag a little here and there.
Even without any fancy, high octane action though, Jerry & Marge ends up being mostly interesting due to the fact that the characters are so likeable. Bryan Cranston is his usual, loveable self, and Annette Bening as Marge is so much fun to watch. Add some star power to the supporting cast (Rainn Wilson, for example) and hey presto, you suddenly really care about these people and it becomes a real, feel good kind of film.
Unfortunately, there’s nothing outstanding about the script or the way the movie is shot – it’s all pretty standard in most respects. There’s something to be said about it’s popular music choices though, and it is packed full of absolute bangers. (The Mamas & the Papas, The Kinks and The Who all make appearances, for example.)
Whilst its conclusion is pretty saccharine, it actually works quite well for the most part. Jerry & Marge will leave you with a wholesome, heart-warming feeling in your chest that makes the whole film feel like it was worth your time.
Jerry & Marge Go Large is available to stream on Paramount+ in the UK.
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