Being Julia

R

Released Oct 15, 2004

1 hr. 44 min.

Comedy

Drama

List

77%

124 Reviews

Tomatometer

74%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Julia Lambert (Annette Bening) is a popular but aging stage actress who is losing passion for her career. Her husband and director, Michael Gosselyn (Jeremy Irons), introduces her to a young American actor, Tom (Shaun Evans), who professes admiration for her. Julia and Tom start an affair, but soon she realizes that Tom is just using her to advance his own career and that of his other girlfriend, actress Avice Crichton (Lucy Punch). Julia befriends Avice, all the while plotting her revenge.

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Critics Consensus

Annette Bening delivers a captivating performance in Being Julia, a sophisticated comedy that follows a 1930s stage diva who experiences an identity crisis at age 40.

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Audience Member

Such a great movie. I wasn't sure at first but it was sich great acting and a superb unravelling of the plot. I highly recommend this movie. Annette Benning is marvelous.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

steve d

I thought it was overacted and boring.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This was an excellent movie to see. It was very Oscar worthy for Annette Bening to be nominated in this 2004 classic. I would watch this again and again because it's very phenomenal!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

One of my guilty pleasures! The final act is simply DIVALICIOUS spin on sweet revenge - All About Eve-esque! Annette Bening should've won the Oscar.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The world of the theatre can be a magnificent one, as the stage is filled with both comedy and drama. However, life off the stage is a whole different entity. Actors and actresses must turn away from the world of make believe, and head back to the realm of reality. And sometimes, they lose what is important in life, and almost become fools of themselves. This is where the 2004 film "Being Julia" comes into play. No pun intended. Based off the novella 'Theatre' by W. Somerset Maugham, we have a film that takes a look at an actress who basically suffers a mid-life crisis, and desperately wants to improve it. And it is so very predictable. Now, there are a few good things to say about the movie, but for the most part, it feels like the curtain has already been drawn. "Being Julia" has some good intentions, but it seems like the set has already been struck. Set in the late 1930s London, Julia Lambert (Annette Bening) is a star of the stage. Everywhere she goes, Julia has a full on passion for the theatre. However, Julia tells her husband Michael (Jeremy Irons) that she is growing tired of the theatre, and decides that she doesn't want to act anymore. Julia then sets her sights on Tom (Shaun Evans), a young American who really likes her. And so, the two form a relationship. Now, Julia must either live the life of the theatre, or accept the reality of the world on her own merits. "Being Julia" is okay at best. There are some good things, but the bad definitely outweighs the good. For one thing, the story is both predictable and boring. It's predictable in that we, as the audience, know what's going to happen, and it just drags the pacing, which was already slow to begin with. It's boring in that the characters , outside of Julia, do not have any real reason to care. If the characters are not interesting, why should the audience be invested in them? And going back to the pacing, it just drags on for what seems like an eternity. Two thirds of the movie are extremely dull, and there is no real excitement going on. It's only until the third act when things become engaging, as well as funny. The whole movie feels tedious that it makes you wish that it were over sooner. With that being said, the film does have a few good qualities to it. For one thing, the technical side of things make this movie stand out. The costumes fit the time period of the 1930s well, and here, it looks great as it does provide a good recreation. Speaking of which, while not filmed in London, Hungary offers up a good source for some wonderful cinematography. This, in tune with the sound and musical score, give the film a sort of classical vibe to it. And while the characters may not work, the performances definitely do stand out. Especially Bening as Julia, who truly shines here. But that does not compensate the tiresome nature of the movie. With all being said and done, "Being Julia" is a nice production about the theatre, it does leave a bored impression for the audience.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Being Julia is a modest comedy about disillusions and glamorous revenge that rises on Annette Bening's brilliant portrayal of a middle aged diva.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

Full Review

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István Szabó

Director

Annette Bening

Julia Lambert

Jeremy Irons

Michael Gosselyn

Bruce Greenwood

Lord Charles

Miriam Margolyes

Dolly de Vries

Juliet Stevenson

Evie

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Annette Bening is great, but this isn't for kids.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 14, 2010

Full Review

Empire Magazine

Rated: 3/5

Apr 1, 2006

Full Review

Nick Schager

Lessons of Darkness

Benning ... brings this constantly disguised vixen to ferocious, flamboyant life.

Rated: C

May 3, 2005

Full Review

Mark Halverson

Sacramento News & Review

Rated: 2/5

Aug 7, 2008

Full Review

Kam Williams

Princeton Town Topics

A beguiling romance about an aging actress at the peak of her career who embarks on an ill-advised, illicit affair with an admirer half her age.

Rated: 3/4

Feb 17, 2007

Full Review

Betsy Bozdech

DVDJournal.com

Annette Bening is the movie; her performance ... is the kind that will pop up on "best of" lists for years to come.

Rated: 4/4

Oct 22, 2006

Full Review

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Synopsis

Julia Lambert (Annette Bening) is a popular but aging stage actress who is losing passion for her career. Her husband and director, Michael Gosselyn (Jeremy Irons), introduces her to a young American actor, Tom (Shaun Evans), who professes admiration for her. Julia and Tom start an affair, but soon she realizes that Tom is just using her to advance his own career and that of his other girlfriend, actress Avice Crichton (Lucy Punch). Julia befriends Avice, all the while plotting her revenge.

Director: István Szabó
Executive Producer: Marion Pilowsky
Screenwriter: Ronald Harwood
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Hogarth Productions, Myriad Pictures, First Choice Films, Serendipity Point Films
Rating: R (Some Sexuality)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 15, 2004, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 8, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $7.7M
Sound Mix: Surround

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