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Being Julia
This is a movie that is outside my comfort zone and I really had no idea if I would like or dislike it. I can say by the end of this film my initial discomfort vanished and I found myself absorbed within the story. I felt like I left the theater seat and traveled to England to witness this story and returned without the jetlag or the expense. When this happens it really is special and so much more rewarding then those times when you’re just looking at surround placement and counting track lights on the floor. If this is in your area, I recommend you give it a try.
Annette Bening is radiant in this piece with wonderful looking shots that catch her in all her beauty. She had a lot of dialog and she delivered it with great enthusiasm and energy that carried until the final scene. Her son, played by Tom Sturridge is also quite stunning to look at and he really had a nice way about him that made me want to see more of him. Jeremy Irons played the husband/producer and he delivered an excellent performance with the limited allotted screen time given to him. The young lover Tom played by Shaun Evans was good initially, but he seemed to act really poorly after their breakup and by the end became a true eyesore.
Julia the ultimate stage actress performs the lead role for London’s artsy crowd in a play that is produced by her boss/husband played by Jeremy Irons. They are in their middle 40’s and have a teenage son that is attempting to forge his own path different from his parents. Julia/Michael’s relationship is built upon their united commitment to deliver a great show and this is what both desire the most. Julia receives inspiration for her characters from her escapades outside her marriage and is introduced to Tom a 20ish year old lifelong fan and newly hired yank played by Shaun Evans. He becomes her newest muse when her current fling with Lord Charles played by Bruce Greenwood abruptly ends due to his fear of bad publicity and his desire to travel abroad. Julia and Tom’s fling is fun for a while but eventually comes to a grinding halt when her young lover’s interest sways toward an actress his own age. Julia finds herself in competition with this younger actress who is on her way up and she on her way down. Tired and performing poorly as her husband insists, she returns to her hometown in Jersey and tries to recover physically and mentally. While in Jersey she unites with Lord Charles and gains insight as to why he ended their former relationship and why he is unwilling to rekindle their passion. Julia returns to England to find her husband entangled in a twist that really motivates her to deliver a stunning ad lib performance that exposes all involved and that ultimately brings down the house.
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