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Julia (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:47
Fresh:34
Rotten:13
Average Rating:6.3/10
Consensus: Tilda Swinton delivers a powerful performance in Julia, a tense thriller and a dark character study.
Synopsis: Tilda Swinton stars in this intense drama as Julia, an aging alcoholic who spends her nights drinking in the company of strangers, and her days making excuses for herself. Beginning in a sleek Los... Tilda Swinton stars in this intense drama as Julia, an aging alcoholic who spends her nights drinking in the company of strangers, and her days making excuses for herself. Beginning in a sleek Los Angeles nightclub, the film shows Julia as she would like to be seen, beautiful and intoxicating. But by morning when Julia wakes once again in bed with a man she doesn’t know, the flattering light of evening has worn off, exposing the harsh reality underneath. Julia’s life knows no real friendships and no real meaning. Any shred of normalcy has slowly been eaten away by the constant pull of alcohol, which has replaced all other drives as the guiding force of Julia’s life. When Mitch (Saul Rubinek), her only friend and a recovering alcoholic, pushes her to attend an AA meeting, she meets her neighbor, Elena (Kate del Castillo). From there, Julia finds herself facing unexpected temptation as Elena shares a highly flawed plan to kidnap her own son, Tommy (Aidan Gould), from the wealthy grandfather he is living with. Elena promises money, and Julia can’t resist, embarking on a messy and sadistic journey that goes wrong at every turn and grows more complicated as her relationship with Tommy develops. French Director Eric Zonca provides an ample platform on which his lead can display her many talents. Never shying away from serious, complex roles, Swinton carries the film with her nuanced and heart-wrenching portrayal of an out-of-control drunk. While it can be hard to watch at times, viewers will find themselves sucked in as Julia’s life spins speedily downhill. With her piercing stare and undeniable screen presence, Swinton demands our attention, whether we like it or not. [More]
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Saul Rubinek, Kate Del Castillo, Aidan Gould
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Saul Rubinek, Kate Del Castillo, Aidan Gould, Jude Ciccolella, Bruno Bichir, Horacio Garcia Rojas, Gaston Peterson, Mauricio Moreno, Kevin Kilner, John Bellucci, Ezra Buzzington
Director: Erick Zonca
Director: Erick Zonca
Screenwriter: Aude Py, Erick Zonca
Producer: Francois Marquis, Bertrand Faivre
Studio: Magnolia Pictures
Reviews for Julia
Charles Bukowski would have loved this foul-mouthed, fiery, reckless woman. Against all odds and common sense, you will, too.
The plot is over-the-top, but Swinton makes you stay with the film long after the writer/director loses credibility.
I salute the film's bravery for rushing off at full force on its own stream-of-consciousness logic, but for me, I found the final stages perhaps a tad too far-fetched.
I recommend going to see it, but don't blame me when you feel like you've downed a fifth of vodka afterwards.
In a sense, it goes to all the places a sensitive character study might have gone, but more dramatically, convincingly and vividly.
a tonally-consistent, lively thriller that is very much of the filmmaker's own little corner of the world
This is not really sure what it wants to be, an out-an-out thriller or a character portrait, but it exels at both in parts.
Julia is a mix of fantasy and tragedy, with the violence amped up and the background noisy and lurid.
This is Zonca's second feature. His first, The Dreamlife of Angels, was extraordinary. Rent that one instead.
Boasts an electrifying, brave performance by Tilda Swinton and has a thrilling initial half, but eventually becomes tedious and convoluted while lacking plausibility and insight into the titular character.
Zonca's Julia is a difficult movie to stomach, but entirely worth the emotional unrest it puts through you.
Picture Fargo played with no sense of comedy, and you'll get some idea of the absurdity of this drunken floozy, clicking and wobbling on high heels, often with bits of her anatomy hanging out, trying to pull off the perfect crime.
Like any beautiful, heartbreaking wreck -- we can never take our eyes off Julia. Or the fierce and uncompromising actress bringing her to awful, astonishing life.
Ms. Swinton doesn't have Ms. Rowlands' tenderness, but, damn, she has just about everything else you need or want.
[Director] Zonca’s merely feeding off Swinton’s manic performance, which starts out tough to watch, then becomes gripping.
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