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Saturday, September 18, 2004 Being Julia A tired stage actress, bored and uninspired with her life, strikes up an affair with a much younger man who's using her to climb up the social ladder. Once she finds out her younger lover's real intentions, the result is revenge and hilarity. If this comedic drama doesn't get you out of a funk, well, maybe you need something a little more obvious than word play. Annette Bening is Julia, the over-the-top actress who steals every scene. People around her can never tell whether she's acting or being real. The supporting actors were, although in some ways clichéd, refreshingly bizarre. From the lecherous old lady to Julia's inner voice which takes the form of her late mentor, these characters were always good for a hearty snickering. "The theater is reality, the outside world is fantasy," Julia's mentor continually berates her. So for Julia even the real world becomes an extension of the stage. It's inevitable to describe it as a mesh of things which might be a more accurate summary than a word for word byplay. Think of it as Sunset Boulevard but replace the angst with amusement and the older woman ends up empowered rather than letting her neediness for a younger man destroy her. And I really liked the soundtrack--especially the main theme which is rich with romantic strings and brought to mind stage acting and sumptuous eighteenth century period costumes. Anyways, I really liked it. The grand finale had me grinning even when I stepped out of the theater and into the pouring rain. [posted by S. Y. Affolee on 11:52 AM : ]
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