Being Julia (2004)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

István Szabó

Writers:

Ronald Harwood (writer)
W. Somerset Maugham (novel)

Release Date:

28 October 2004 (Israel)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Passion. Obsession. Revenge. Prepare for the performance of a lifetime.

Plot:

Set in '30s London, the film involves stage actors and their experiences with love and revenge.

Plot Keywords:

Revenge | 1930s | Actress | Social Climber | Diva

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 6 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Michael Gambon	...	Jimmie Langton
Annette Bening	...	Julia Lambert
Leigh Lawson	...	Archie Dexter
Shaun Evans	...	Tom Fennel
Mari Kiss	...	Mr. Gosselyn's Secretary
Jeremy Irons	...	Michael Gosselyn
Ronald Markham	...	Butler
Terry Sach	...	Chauffeur
Catherine Charlton	...	Miss Philips
Juliet Stevenson	...	Evie
Miriam Margolyes	...	Dolly de Vries
Max Irons	...	Curtain Call Boy
Andrew Paton Story Busher	...	Male Singer
George Lang	...	Antoine the Maitre D
Michael Culkin	...	Rupert

Also Known As:

Csodálatos Júlia (Hungary)

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexuality.

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

Canada | USA | Hungary | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Sweden:Btl | Brazil:12 | Ireland:15 | Malaysia:U | Hungary:14 | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-11 | Hong Kong:IIB | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:M18 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | UK:12A | USA:R | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company:

Serendipity Point Films

Trivia:

Miranda Richardsonwas originally attached to play Julia Lambert.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Tom first dances with Julia in a nightclub, he is clearly seen wearing a square-faced wristwatch. This is the Cartier given to him a few scenes later by Julia. He shouldn't be wearing a watch at all in this early scene, having pawned his own round-faced watch to pay for the night's entertainment.

Quotes:

Julia Lambert: I've decided to retire and let myself go. I'll have potatoes for lunch and potatoes for dinner and beer. God, I love beer! And treacle pudding and cherry tart and cream, cream, cream, cream, cream, cream... as god is my judge, I'll never eat a lettuce leaf again.

Movie Connections:

References Wee Willie Winkie (1937)

Soundtrack:

Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries

How Julia Got Her Groove Back

Being Julia is a very entertaining picture aimed at the over 40 demographics, which is nice for a change since most of the films these days are aimed at the 25 and younger crowd. The story is great. I haven't read the book, so I don't know if the credit goes to the screenwriter or the author. Annette Bening's performance carries the film.

The bad news is, it could have been better. My first complaint is the photography has a yellow/green cast to it, which makes the film visually dull. This is a shame since Annette Bening is so radiant. My second complaint is the directing is competent but not much more. It's pretty much what you would expect from a made for TV film but not an art house film. A visionary director could have made this film great rather than merely good. My third complaint is that it is similar to All About Eve, Sunset Boulevard, and 20th Century; but it is not at the same level of those classics, due to the reasons given above.

This is a film about the theater and in my favorite scene her son tells her that she is always acting. Some people might be turned off by the style of the dialog, but it fits the context of the film. One of the devices of the film is that the ghost of her acting mentor is always watching over her like a guardian angel. The ending of the film couldn't have been better, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

Overall, this is currently one of the top 3 films in the theater and if you are lucky enough to have it playing in your area, you should see it. 8/10