Movie · 2004 · Comedy, Drama, Romance · 1h 44m · R · English
Curator score: 3.9/10 (16.7K ratings)
Passion. Obsession. Revenge. Prepare for the performance of a lifetime.
Overview
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.
Ratings
Curator score: 3.9/10
IMDb: 7.0/10
Letterboxd: 3.35/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 76%
Metacritic: 65
TMDB: 6.4/10
Director
István Szabó
Production
Serendipity Point Films, First Choice Films, Hogarth Productions
Cast
Annette Bening, Jeremy Irons, Miriam Margolyes, Bruce Greenwood, Michael Gambon, Leigh Lawson, Shaun Evans, Juliet Stevenson, Max Irons, Michael Culkin, Tom Sturridge, Sheila McCarthy, Lucy Punch, Teresa Churcher, Rosemary Harris, Rita Tushingham, Maury Chaykin, Marsha Fitzalan, Julian Richings
Curator Review
Verdict
A sharp, actor-driven backstage drama with a delicious central performance from Annette Bening. The plot is familiar and sometimes secondary to the star turn, but the film’s wit, period polish, and final-act payoff make it rewarding for viewers who enjoy theatrical intrigue and character study.
Best for
fans of performance-centered dramas
viewers who like period pieces with wit and scandal
people drawn to backstage or theater stories
audiences who enjoy a strong lead carrying a film
Skip if
you need a tightly plotted story with constant momentum
you dislike melodrama or theatricality
you want every supporting character to be deeply developed
you prefer understated realism over heightened period drama
Overview
Being Julia is less interested in plot mechanics than in the pleasure of watching a star perform a star. Annette Bening gives Julia Lambert a mix of vanity, intelligence, mischief, and wounded vanity that keeps the film alive even when the story feels deliberately airy. The result is a glossy, old-school vehicle that understands how much charisma can do the heavy lifting.
Worth noting
István Szabó stages the film with a polished, elegant touch, leaning into the theatrical world of backstage gossip, social performance, and romantic gamesmanship. The period detail is handsome, and the screenplay gives Julia enough bite to make her more than a standard diva portrait. Even when the film feels slight, it remains entertaining because it is so committed to its central conceit: everyone is acting, all the time.
Bottom line
It may not linger in the memory as strongly as its best scenes, but the final stretch gives the movie a satisfying snap. If you’re in the mood for a smart, glossy character piece anchored by a commanding lead performance, this is an easy recommendation.
Top Letterboxd reviews
john john (4★) · 45 likes
i don’t recall the last time i felt so entranced by a performance, but annette bening’s julia was a most damning character, so threatening, and for many, love is a trifle - but for julia, it is what makes her the best actress in england
edit: upon reading other people’s reviews about this movie - i think it’s intentional that other characters are meant to be forgotten, the plot is meant to be unmemorable - it is julia’s world, theatre is the only reality
RobynSummer (3★) · 33 likes
Julia Lambert is a great actor. So great, in fact, that she never stops acting. It's unclear where the performance begins and ends, both to us, and to her.
This film's success rests solely on Annette Bening's shoulders, and she knocks it out of the park with her amazing performance. This isn't the most memorable film, and the majority of the cast barely leaves an impression, but that's okay. The focus is always on Julia, like it should be.
david_bruner (3★) · 29 likes
The whole movie is basically Annette Bening’s performance, but that’s substantial enough for me.
sal (4.5★) · 19 likes
Berkat video edit di tiktok Jeremy di Being Julia lewat fyp, gue langsung memutuskan untuk rewatch salah satu film kesukaan gue dari Jeremy.
Gue masih menonton dalam kualitas gambar yang buram dan berembun, tanpa sub Indo dan sub Inggris yang sedikit punya celah..dan serunya masih terasa sama! Padahal tadi sore gue sempet pesimis karena tiba-tiba kena gejala masuk angin kan..bimbang, kalo gue nonton dalam keadaan ga kondusif nanti berpengaruh sama ratingnya juga.
Being Julia punya plot yang mencakup beberapa hal… more
DrStrange110 (3.5★) · 19 likes
Comes up as a pretty mediocre piece until the last 10 minutes and it becomes a well worth watch imo