Being Julia

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)