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:

Adulterous Wife | Male Female Relationship | 1930s | Actress | Adultery

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 Richardson' was originally attached to play Julia Lambert.

Goofs:

Continuity: Tom tells Julia that Michael has given him a box for the opening of the new play. When we see Tom after Julia makes an obvious reference to him by saying, "B-E-N," he is seated not in a box but in the orchestra section, next to Julia's son and in front of Julia's male friend.

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:

Featured in 11th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Mad about the Boy

Pointless people pondering pointless puzzles

Julia is an aging movie star, who has a marriage without passion and finds herself in an affair with an younger man. Advised by the dead spirit of the man who helped her become the star she is today, this movie is guaranteed to cure insomnia and kill 99% of all household germs.

Being Julia is full of pointless people, whose motivations you are not introduced to, and whose lives are a waste of time and space. Maybe if you like that sort of movie you will go for this. But as an example of this genre it is a poorly crafted example.

The plot unfolds clumsily and is possibly trying to say something rather meaningful, but only for people who don't really want any meaning, just the illusion of meaning.