Being Julia
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Grade: C- | Genre: Drama Summary: As the curtains close, this movie is pretty much only for the dedicated Annette Bening fan. I really wish this movie had surrounded her with more substance to bounce her talents off of. |
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Starring: Annette Bening, Jeremy Irons, Bruce Greenwood, Shaun Evans & Miriam Margolyes
Director: Istvan Szabo
What must it be like roaming around in Annette Bening’s skin (and I’m not saying that in a Silence of the Lambs kind of way for that one sicko whose mind went that direction)? You are one of the most acclaimed actresses of your generation, yet young and feisty Hillary Swank shuts you out of two Oscars in a row. With age and maturity, Bening brings a greater range to her work though our glance still settles on the women vying to dethrone her from the mantle of Hollywood’s great. Isn’t it bad enough that there just aren’t roles for older actresses anymore, outside of playing insignificant parts as someone’s mother or (gasp!) grandmother, but we exacerbate the problem by glossing over their achievements as we scour the celluloid for that potential someone who is to be the next Annette Bening. Who knows perhaps these younger actresses are shooting past their idols? Being Julia seems to be a commentary on the state of the aging actress and the challenges she faces as her beauty dims and the lines of age settle.
Julia Lambert (Bening) is an actress at the pinnacle of her form in the British theatre of the 1930s. She is an aging star that has somehow stepped her way into a very mundane existence. Her marriage has evolved into one of lazy convenience, dosed of the passion long ago. Her son is ambivalent towards her as he feels like she is playing a part when talking to him. She is fawned over by her adoring public that has fostered a diva streak in her that would make JLo proud. Every promising actress on the rise desperately wants to work with her only to edge her out of the spotlight long enough so they can shine. In short, her existence has become rather bland and tastes about as appetizing as tearing into a bag of rice cakes.
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