Being Julia

Excellent. Annette Bening was brilliant. You really feel her pain and desperation, in the first part of the movie, but you just love the way she gets her vengeance. Its the kind of movie where in the back of your head you're like 'go get em Julia'. And considering the situation of the main character, the movie never takes it self too seriously. Swift, easy watching, touching, funny intuitive and clever.

Concerned that her career may be on the decline, a middle aged theatre actress initiates an affair with a much young admirer who may just be using her in this jovial blend of comedy and drama based on a Somerset Maugham novel. Best known for Annette Bening's Oscar nominated performance, Bening is expectedly solid as the Margot Channing-like title character, though Jeremy Irons holds his own quite well as her aloof husband, spurting droll witticisms, and Michael Gambon is also superb as her deceased mentor who now coaches her every so often in spirit. Gambon's role is quite interesting as he represents a constant audience that Bening seems to imagine herself having (commenting on how well she is steering conversations) but the film may have benefited from using him more consistently throughout since he occasionally feels like a plot device. The film also culminates in an on-stage revenge pay-off that never quite seems as funny as it could have been (think 'Noises Off...'), however, generating laughs is not all that screenwriter Ronald Harwood and 'Mephisto' director István Szabó have in mind. The film is very much about the mindset of a famous actress who is accustomed to enjoying a certain amount of attention and who is cunning enough to get what she ultimately wants; by the end of the film, the question of who has really used who lingers. Miriam Margolyes also has an interesting role along these lines as Bening's lesbian financial backer who Bening manipulates with promises of swimming nude and meetings during massage sessions.

I approached this film strictly by way of word of mouth. Reviews and blurbs went over my head. I haven't read Maughm (sp?) in years and forgot what I may have read. I went into the theater with a clean slate. Ms.Benning displays an awesome range of technique, but that doesn't describe her or the film. She was able to draw me within her to sense her triumphs and doubts, and challenges, all of which appeared and felt quite real to me.

In the hands of others this picture might easily have fallen into soap, surely with its "come-upance" finale, all quite expected and predictable, I thought. Still, having said that I was totally absorbed by Ms Benning and her surrounding players all of whom added to the vitality of her performance without negating or diluting their own. I am not an actor yet I felt I understood the lessons she was displaying and the courage to so open herself in such a revealing way.

She is the film, with respect to the director and writer, and the film is her, not a great film, but one worth while seeing on its own, but more so for the opportunity of truly witnessing great craft and talent.

The cast were the biggest draw into seeing 'Being Julia', hard to resist such great talent like Annette Bening, Jeremy Irons, Michael Gambon and Juliet Stevenson. W. Somerset Maugham was an interesting writer, some say that he is old-fashioned and his work hasn't aged well but to me he deserves being celebrated and love his insight, wit, sharp prose and charm, which deserves to be adapted more on film and the general solid standard of the adaptations seen of his proves this.

'Being Julia' does nothing to waste its talent and is well worth seeing, deserving of its generally favourable reviews here. As an adaptation of the book, it leaves a lot to be desired with much cut out and too many of the characters are underwritten due to their roles being reduced. On its own, as a standalone which has always been a fairer way to judge to me, 'Being Julia' is very good. It may not work for some viewers, some may find it over-the-top and affected while many others will find it entertaining and well made and played, count me in in the latter category.

Absolutely agree with all that Annette Bening is the reason to see 'Being Julia'. She is nothing short of amazing and is the absolute embodiment of Julia. One mustn't overlook the rest of the cast, Michael Gambon is splendid and a clear standout. Jeremy Irons does a great and beautifully restrained job as the rather underwritten character of Michael, while Lucy Punch is radiant and Juliet Stevenson enjoys herself thoroughly. Likewise with Miriam Margoyles. Istvan Szabo gets a lot out of the cast and the chemistry throughout is natural, also balancing the material without being overly-theatrical or too stagy.

It is a good looking film, those costumes of Julia's are to die for in particular. The music captures the period with great affection and fits without being obtrusive or being over-obvious, very beautiful and infectious. The script is sharp, amusing and thoughtful, like Maugham's writing, love the witticisms. The story entertains and moves, with a twist that leaves one floored and while the ending is over the top it does stay with one forever. Anybody wanting a likeable or rootable protagonist will be disappointed, but she isn't meant to be.

Did think that two performances didn't work. Shaun Evans has improved significantly over-time, absolutely love him in 'Endeavour', but he is rather colourless in 'Being Julia' and it is not helped by Tom being very underdeveloped and cliffs-notes like. More problematic is Bruce Greenwood, of all my recently seen film viewings Greenwood is among the biggest miscasts and comes over as out-of-place (and it is not just that he is completely unconvincing as a Brit, everything about him was wrong).

Some of the pace could have been tighter at times, towards the end it drags a bit.

Overall though, found myself liking it very much. 8/10

I am not a fan of Annette Benning by any stretch of the imagination. I thought she was far too old to play the schoolgirlish ingenue in "An American President", and found her lacking in warmth and charisma as the love interest in "Open Range". I thought she was okay for what she had to do in "Dick Tracy", and honestly can't remember her performance in "American Beauty".

In "Being Julia", however, Benning's performance thoroughly does justice to her larger-than-life character. Benning plays 1930s stage actress Julia Lambert. Julia is by turns melodramatic, egocentric, overbearing and overwrought. She roars into our consciousness from her first scene to her final curtain.

Benning is surrounded by a fine cast of actors and actresses who act as perfect foils for her. Jeremy Irons, especially, is subtle and subdued as her manager husband, Michael Gosselyn. Juliet Stevenson is a sly confederate as Julia's dresser Evie. Miriam Margolyes is a hoot as theatre owner Dolly. Shaun Evans is a feast for the eyes as Tom Fennell, the young cad who breaks Julia's heart. Michael Gambon rounds out the cast as Jimmy Langton, a ghostly mentor to the very much alive and lively Julia.

Julia is not exactly what you would call an admirable human being. She is self-centered, bitchy, catty and vengeful. But, as the Italians say, "revenge is a dish best eaten cold". The film keeps us in suspense as we nervously wait for the other shoe to drop, for Julia to execute her carefully plotted revenge. When she springs her trap, we may shake our heads disapprovingly, but we cannot suppress a hearty laugh.

By its very nature, "Being Julia" is a film that will not appeal to a young demographic. You have to be a certain age to appreciate Julia's predicament of growing old and feeling that life and love have passed her by. Benning bravely allows director Istvan Szabo to film her in merciless and unforgiving closeup, to capture the lines etched in her brow, around her mouth and at her neckline. But the film leaves us with a sense of hope that, like Julia, we may all age like fine wine -- or like the beer whose creamy foam Julia relishes like her life itself: without the slightest trace of sadness or regret.