A flossy star vehicle, this colorful period piece stars Oscar-nominated Annette Bening as the reigning queen of the London theatre in the late 1930s, a flamboyant diva who cannily takes vengeance on three people in her life: a callow young cad who's seduced and abandoned her, an ambitious ingénue who's replaced her in his affections and intends to upstage her to boot, and her own producer-husband, who's betrayed her by having an affair with the younger woman. And she does it in the most suitable way--at the premiere of a play, which she comically turns to her own advantage as an instrument of poetic justice. It's a plum part, and Bening seizes every opportunity it offers, from extravagant thespian posing and flights of romantic abandon to self-pitying crying jags and showy bouts of cunning calculation. There's nothing remotely realistic about this artificial but entertaining crowd-pleaser, and the rest of the cast frankly wilts in the star's glow, while Istvan Szabo's direction lacks charm and vivacity, giving a slightly leaden feel to material that should be gossamer. But though Being Julia is a glossy, brainless divertissement, as devoid of substance as its cardboard characters, thanks to Bening it's still darn good fun. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director István Szabó, and costars Annette Bening and Jeremy Irons, a behind-the-scenes featurette (9 min.), a “making-of” featurette (6 min.), four deleted scenes (5 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a fine showcase for Bening.] (F. Swietek)
Being Julia
Sony, 105 min., R, VHS: $50.99, DVD: $26.98, Mar. 22 Volume 20, Issue 2
Being Julia
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: