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Being Julia

Being Julia

Comedy · Drama · Romance · 2004

Julia Lambert is a true diva: beautiful, talented, weathly and famous. She has it all - including a devoted husband who has mastermined her brilliant career - but after years of shining in the spotlight she begins to suffer from a severe case of boredom and longs for something new and exciting to put the twinkle back in her eye. Julia finds exactly what she's looking for in a handsome young American fan, but it isn't long before the novelty fling adds a few more sparks than she was hoping for. Fortuately for her, this surprise twist in the plot will thrust her back into the greatest role of her life.

Movie details

Being Julia

“Passion. Obsession. Revenge. Prepare for the performance of a lifetime.”

2004 Comedy · Drama · Romance 1h 44m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.4 / 10

Community rating

Julia Lambert is a true diva: beautiful, talented, weathly and famous. She has it all - including a devoted husband who has mastermined her brilliant career - but after years of shining in the spotlight she begins to suffer from a severe case of boredom and longs for something new and exciting to put the twinkle back in her eye. Julia finds exactly what she's looking for in a handsome young American fan, but it isn't long before the novelty fling adds a few more sparks than she was hoping for. Fortuately for her, this surprise twist in the plot will thrust her back into the greatest role of her life.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Being Julia?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

István Szabó

Written by

W. Somerset Maugham · Ronald Harwood

Annette Bening

Annette Bening

Julia Lambert

Jeremy Irons

Jeremy Irons

Michael Gosselyn

Miriam Margolyes

Miriam Margolyes

Dolly de Vries

Bruce Greenwood

Bruce Greenwood

Lord Charles

Michael Gambon

Michael Gambon

Jimmie Langton

Leigh Lawson

Leigh Lawson

Archie Dexter

Shaun Evans

Shaun Evans

Tom Fennel

Court is in session

Put Being Julia on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.