Being Julia
[BEJUL]
Canada, Hungary, UK, 2004, 116 min
Directed By: István Szabó
PROD: Robert Lantos
SCR: Ronald Harwood based on the novel Theatre by W. Somerset Maugham
CAM: Lajos Koltai
ED: Susan Shipton
MUS: Mychael Danna
ART DIR: Luciana Arrighi
Cast: Annette Bening, Jeremy Irons, Bruce Greenwood, Miriam Margolyes, Juliet Stevenson, Shaun Evans Official Film Website
Rich in comedy and drama, István Szabó's (Sunshine, VIFF 99) latest feature is a portrait of a great actress at a crossroads. It's 1938 and Julia Lambert (Annette Bening) rules the stage in London's West End with the support of her husband, impresario Michael Gosselyn (Jeremy Irons). Although she's at her peak, Julia is rapidly becoming a "woman of a certain age," whose leading roles, both onstage and off, will soon give way to secondary status. Against the advice of her confidante and companion Lord Charles (Bruce Greenwood), Julia commences an affair with a young American fan (Shaun Evans). Initially a source of renewed vitality, the passionate tryst quickly becomes the grist for professional maneuvering. As events unfold, Julia reveals that she is a more formidable actress than anyone ever imagined.
Adapted by Oscar-winning screenwriter Ronald Harwood (The Pianist) from W. Somerset Maugham's novel Theatre, Being Julia combines a lush period setting with an astute examination of the roles we all play in the comedy, tragedy and melodrama that is everyday life. At turns vibrant, fiercely manipulative and painfully vulnerable, Bening turns in a stunning performance in the deliciously complex role of Julia. "The tale is set amongst imagined masks and real-life mirrors. The masks are there for eventual revelation, the mirrors are there so we can face ourselves" explains Szabó. "And the battlefield of this fight is the face of the actor."
Screening Schedule
| Date | Time | Venue | Tickets |
| Thu, Sep 23 | 7:00 pm | Visa Screening Room
@the Vogue | $50.00 |
|
Sun, Sep 26 | 1:00 pm | Granville 7 Cinema 7 | $7.00 |
|