Jerry & Marge Go Large is a great cast working in a slightly unfocused film. Brian Cranston and Annette Benning play a pair of retirees who discover a statistical flaw in a local lottery. Doing nothing illegal, they play the system at greater and greater scales and completely by the rules.

I enjoyed at varying levels the majority of this film. It starts strong and feels a little dangerous and sly… a story of the working man getting one over on the state. And that’s certainly part of the story but this is also a true story that the script isn’t over-sensationalizing. We never really get a crescendo, a Hollywood moment, or even cheap thrills or broad comedy.

The final act of the film, in fact, kind of sputters out trying to find an angle to end on. It finally chooses a sentimental ending that borders on shmaltzy. It’s charming enough but feels pretty tepid.

There is a “villain” in the film and there’s a few witty and snarky scenes between our old retiree and the young Harvard punk… but even this story just kind of winds up fizzling out. We get a little catharsis at a come-uppance but not really at a level that satisfies given the kid’s smug face.

Overall, this is a sweet and pleasant film that tells an interesting story but not always in the most interesting of ways. I didn’t need a sneering villain or for the Man to come down hard on them, but maybe a funnier tone and a little tighter script, especially in that third act. It’s worth watching though… if, for no other reason, than Cranston and Benning.

Score: 82