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      ‘Jerry & Marge Go Large’ Review: You Don’t Know Jackpot

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      Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening play an aging couple who cash in on a lottery loophole in this flavorless comedy.The mild Midwestern couple anchoring “Jerry & Marge Go Large” are hearty, spry and scarcely beyond their fifties. But you wouldn’t know that from their dialogue, which seems intent on establishing Jerry (Bryan Cranston) and Marge (Annette Bening) as geriatrics; “too old,” “golden years” and “missed my chance” are a few of the key terms encircling them.This framing of the protagonists is essential to “Jerry & Marge”; the dopey comedy uses the sheer implausibility of its scenario as a selling point. Elderly simpletons pulling off a cash gambit? Don’t be silly! Audiences may roll their eyes, but the director, David Frankel, plays up the hook: One more slow-mo shot of dad sneakers or mom jeans and certain sequences could double as ads for Walmart clothing.Loosely based on a true news item, the story begins with the recently retired Jerry discovering a flaw in the arithmetic behind a lottery game. Capitalizing on the loophole, he starts to win big, and even ropes in fellow townspeople as shareholders. The neighbors pool their profits, hoping to reinstall a local jazz fest, until a group of Harvard students inexplicably emerges as avaricious adversaries.In tone and semiotics, “Jerry & Marge” evokes conventional sitcoms. A schematic score accentuates moments of humor or sentiment, and each realization, narrative turn or lesson learned is repeated aloud in concrete terms. While the movie sustains levity, its lack of subtlety — and a lack of stakes, save for sweepstakes — make for an altogether bland bonanza.Jerry & Marge Go LargeRated PG-13 for windfalls and pratfalls. 1 hour 36 minutes. Watch on Paramount+. More

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      ‘Georgetown’ Review: It’s Not a Lie if You Believe It

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      In Christoph Waltz’s film, a grifter takes Washington.Christoph Waltz is a magnificent actor, and in “Georgetown,” as in everything, he is a pleasure to watch. As Ulrich Mott, a smooth-talking, uxorious grifter and social climber who wheedles his way into Washington society with the aid of his well-connected nonagenarian wife, Waltz flamboyantly charms and flatters, wearing a wolfish smile as he lies through his teeth.Mott is based on Albrecht Muth, the famous liar and cheat who was convicted of the 2011 murder of his wife, and Waltz plays him as an oily, hot-tempered sociopath on a direct path from fibbing to frenzy. He makes you understand how a man who could so easily lie might, in the right circumstances, just as easily kill.Waltz’s most memorable performances have come under the direction of auteurs such as Alexander Payne and Quentin Tarantino. In “Georgetown,” he directs himself, and he is hindered by his limitations as a filmmaker. Although there are flashes of stylistic ambition, including a confident tracking shot near the beginning of the film reminiscent of Brian De Palma, on the whole the action feels stilted and the drama insubstantial. The great Vanessa Redgrave, as Mott’s ill-fated wife, and Annette Bening, as her suspicious daughter, are both excellent — perhaps a testament to the director’s skill with fellow actors. But the cast can only do so much with thin material, and Waltz, duping and swindling grandly, isn’t equipped to make the long con interesting.GeorgetownRated R for strong language and some domestic violence. Running time: 1 hour 39 minutes. In theaters and available to rent or buy on Google Play, FandangoNow and other streaming platforms and pay TV operators. Please consult the guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before watching movies inside theaters. More