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Being Julia Details

2004 Certificate 12
  • Rated:
  • 60
  • from 6054 members

Set in '30s London, the film involves stage actors and their experiences with love and revenge. Read more

Starring Annette Bening, Jeremy Irons, Juliet Stevenson, Miriam Margolyes
Director István Szabó
Genres Audio Descriptive, Drama

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Being Julia

Set in '30s London, the film involves stage actors and their experiences with love and revenge.

Starring Annette Bening, Jeremy Irons, Juliet Stevenson, Miriam Margolyes, Bruce Greenwood
Director István Szabó
Studio COLUMBIA TRI-STAR HOME VIDEO
Run time DVD: 1 hr 40 mins
Certificate Certificate 12
Genres Audio Descriptive, Drama
Language DVD: English, English Audio Description
Hearing-impaired English
Subtitles DVD: English, Hindi
Released DVD: 10 Dec 2007
Production year: 2004
Format DVD
  • Critics' reviews (3) of Being Julia

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  • 3 stars out of 5

    The glamour and superficiality surrounding the London theatre scene of the 1930s is brought to life in István Szabó's stylish comedy drama. Based on a W Somerset Maugham novella, it's an atmospheric tale of impetuous love and calculating revenge. An effervescent Annette Bening is the 40-something stage actress and society queen, who begins a turbulent affair with a gold-digging young American (Shaun Evans). Initially energised by their illicit meetings, the married diva is increasingly pained by Evans's playboy ways, particularly his relationship with a beautiful acting hopeful (Lucy Punch). This character-driven piece benefits from solid performances and a sharply amusing script. Although Bening occasionally overplays her role, she's no less appealing for it, while Michael Gambon is fabulous as her ghostly mentor. The film may be too affected for modern tastes, but it does delightfully convey the charms and idiosyncrasies of inter-war luvviedom.

    • Radio Times
  • As her stage diva character Julia would have it, this comedy drama revolves around Annette Benings stunning... read more on Time Out

    • Time Out
  • Most helpful member's review of Being Julia

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  • 59 out of 62 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    You won't get bored

    You don't have to be a fan of Annette Bening (or Jeremy Irons) to enjoy this high-spirited tale of theatrical life - or rather, Julia Lambert's life, to be specific.

    Based on a novella by my one of my all-time favorite authors, W. Somerset Maugham, Being Julia is sort of like All About Eve, except not as stage-y. It's a period piece, taking place in England in the '30s, where burnt-out Diva Extraordinaire Julia Lambert is moaning and groaning about her tedious, boring life to anyone who will listen, including her weathered and weary husband (Irons, drolly pipe-puffing his way through the film as only he could). She meets a young, handsome, American fan/opportunist (Shaun Evans, highly effective) and together they rekindle Julia's lust for life.

    This is just the first half hour - it gets better and more and more outrageous (and of course more FUN) as it goes on. Needless to say, you won't be bored; in fact, I left the theater smiling and shaking my head.

      • A customer from uk
  • Most recent members' review of Being Julia

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  • 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    Pleasant English Chocolate-Box Period Drama

    It's a pleasant film, surviving only by way of its glitter. Indeed it's about egocentric actors/actresses and in this case egocentrism largely wins the day. It's foppery but it's fun, but it's totally inconsequential. Good budget, fine preparation, good acting, well-edited. This is just the film to show at the old-age pensioners' Christmas Party. They'll love it.

      • A classical actor from deep in the luscious green valleys of stunning Mid-Wales.
  • News and features

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    Being Julia

    Take a Peep at this

    • 11 Aug 2006

    The screen adaptation of Christopher Priest's novel The Prestige, which follows a battle between two rival magicians for each other's secrets, should do well at the box office- after all it has both Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale on board. But there is another magician pairing studio execs plan to unleash on the film-going public and the success of this one is a lot harder to determine. The magicians in question are Robert Webb and David Mitchell, who fans of cult British comedy Peep Show will Read more

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Rating breakdown

6,054 Member ratings
  • 100
240
  • 90
339
  • 80
675
  • 70
900
  • 60
1,263
  • 50
925
  • 40
696
  • 30
491
  • 20
352
  • 10
173

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