Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Being Julia (2004)
Director: Istvan Szabo
See January for:
The Aviator
Finding Neverland
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Closer
See February for:
Ray
Sunrise
Love
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Male and Female
Million Dollar Baby
* Warning the following analysis contains a discussion of the entire film – including the ending.
Being Julia is a film about vain, ambitious and deceptive theater people; a film in which the performances are far better than the movie in which they are performing. Annette Bening is at the center of this remarkable acting assemblage. She plays, Julia, “the greatest living actress on the London stage”. The problem is she is aging (approaching 50), and exhausted with her work while simultaneous fearing she will soon no longer have good parts to play (as she tells, us there are few remarkable roles for older women). Julia’s energy and overall attitude toward her work and her life change, however, when she begins an affair with a (much) younger, adorning American. Julia sparkles in life and on stage during the weeks after the love affair begins.
Their relationship, though thrilling for both at first, cannot last. Julia is jealous and deceptive, while her young American lover, Tom Fennel, is cheating and deceptive. Their affair ends one evening when Julia confronts Tom with rage, fueled by ego and jealousy, after he returns from an evening out with a beautiful young actress, Evie.
(* The most serious flaw of the film is Julia’s reaction to the break-up. We are unsure if Julia is acting a part to get what she wants, which is Tom’s continued adorning attention, or if she is sincere in her emotions. We have seen her in previous scenes selfishly manipulate others with her performances, and she uses some of the same words to cajole Tom. If she is performing, a significant portion of the film (their love affair) has lost warmth and meaning. If Julia truly is devastated, the reaction seems all out of character (and out of proportion) for Julia. The uncertainty we are left with is worse than either possibility. )
As it turns out, Tom is not only cheating and deceptive; he is ambitious, hoping to become a player in English theater. He hopes to use his relationship with Evie to begin his climb. Further, Tom has the audacity, after coldly breaking their relationship, to ask Julia to get Evie her first major role in Julia’s newest play. Tom, we now see, is far more interested in building a career than any relationships. Further, Evie is just as ambitious. Her affair with Tom is the means for her audition with Julia. An additional affair with the play’s director, Michael (Julia’s husband), will advance her career in the company, she hopes. So by the last ¼ of the film we have a four-person entanglement of cheating, deceit and ambition – but all done with such lovely English manners you hardly realize how cruel it all is.
And then we get to the fantastic ending sequence. Julia, pretending to play nice, encourages Michael to hire Evie for a significant role opposite her in the upcoming play. It is a role that can make Evie’s budding career. Stardom seems on the way for Evie and her ambitious beau, Tom, until opening night. Julia has planned a diabolical scheme of revenge for Evie and Tom. Instead of playing Evie’s big scene as rehearsed, Julia makes up dialogue and is re-creating the play before the audience to make Evie look ridiculous. Evie, inexperienced and nervous to begin with, desperately tries again and again to return to the script. In the end she is a dear caught in Julia’s wicked headlights. In fact Julia’s improvisation is so hilarious as it makes Evie look ridiculous that the play is changed to keep the scene the same. Instead of a significant first role, Evie is under contract to play the fool opposite the woman she now despises for the rest of the season. A sweet revenge for Julia. Julia, triumphant, relishes her revenge and is reminiscent of Bette Davis’ Margo Channing in her most wicked moments in All About Eve.
Julia, for now, is triumphant over her younger rival and will remain the greatest actress of the London stage – at least for another season.
Should you see it? The final sequence alone is well worth the price.
See January for:
The Aviator
Finding Neverland
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Closer
See February for:
Ray
Sunrise
Love
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Male and Female
Million Dollar Baby
* Warning the following analysis contains a discussion of the entire film – including the ending.
Being Julia is a film about vain, ambitious and deceptive theater people; a film in which the performances are far better than the movie in which they are performing. Annette Bening is at the center of this remarkable acting assemblage. She plays, Julia, “the greatest living actress on the London stage”. The problem is she is aging (approaching 50), and exhausted with her work while simultaneous fearing she will soon no longer have good parts to play (as she tells, us there are few remarkable roles for older women). Julia’s energy and overall attitude toward her work and her life change, however, when she begins an affair with a (much) younger, adorning American. Julia sparkles in life and on stage during the weeks after the love affair begins.
Their relationship, though thrilling for both at first, cannot last. Julia is jealous and deceptive, while her young American lover, Tom Fennel, is cheating and deceptive. Their affair ends one evening when Julia confronts Tom with rage, fueled by ego and jealousy, after he returns from an evening out with a beautiful young actress, Evie.
(* The most serious flaw of the film is Julia’s reaction to the break-up. We are unsure if Julia is acting a part to get what she wants, which is Tom’s continued adorning attention, or if she is sincere in her emotions. We have seen her in previous scenes selfishly manipulate others with her performances, and she uses some of the same words to cajole Tom. If she is performing, a significant portion of the film (their love affair) has lost warmth and meaning. If Julia truly is devastated, the reaction seems all out of character (and out of proportion) for Julia. The uncertainty we are left with is worse than either possibility. )
As it turns out, Tom is not only cheating and deceptive; he is ambitious, hoping to become a player in English theater. He hopes to use his relationship with Evie to begin his climb. Further, Tom has the audacity, after coldly breaking their relationship, to ask Julia to get Evie her first major role in Julia’s newest play. Tom, we now see, is far more interested in building a career than any relationships. Further, Evie is just as ambitious. Her affair with Tom is the means for her audition with Julia. An additional affair with the play’s director, Michael (Julia’s husband), will advance her career in the company, she hopes. So by the last ¼ of the film we have a four-person entanglement of cheating, deceit and ambition – but all done with such lovely English manners you hardly realize how cruel it all is.
And then we get to the fantastic ending sequence. Julia, pretending to play nice, encourages Michael to hire Evie for a significant role opposite her in the upcoming play. It is a role that can make Evie’s budding career. Stardom seems on the way for Evie and her ambitious beau, Tom, until opening night. Julia has planned a diabolical scheme of revenge for Evie and Tom. Instead of playing Evie’s big scene as rehearsed, Julia makes up dialogue and is re-creating the play before the audience to make Evie look ridiculous. Evie, inexperienced and nervous to begin with, desperately tries again and again to return to the script. In the end she is a dear caught in Julia’s wicked headlights. In fact Julia’s improvisation is so hilarious as it makes Evie look ridiculous that the play is changed to keep the scene the same. Instead of a significant first role, Evie is under contract to play the fool opposite the woman she now despises for the rest of the season. A sweet revenge for Julia. Julia, triumphant, relishes her revenge and is reminiscent of Bette Davis’ Margo Channing in her most wicked moments in All About Eve.
Julia, for now, is triumphant over her younger rival and will remain the greatest actress of the London stage – at least for another season.
Should you see it? The final sequence alone is well worth the price.
