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53
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36
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57
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49
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63
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49
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36
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35
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47
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60
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71
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57
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70
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56
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93
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27
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47
X-Files: I Want to Believe, The
56
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
93
WALL-E
82
Dark Knight, The
73
Kung Fu Panda
72
Ghost Town
71
Tropic Thunder
70
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
66
Bolt
65
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
64
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
63
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, The
63
Burn After Reading
61
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
60
Traitor
59
Role Models
58
Express, The
58
Quantum of Solace
58
City of Ember
57
Secret Life of Bees, The
57
Body of Lies
57
Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D
57
High School Musical 3: Senior Year
57
Twilight
57
Flash of Genius
56
W.
56
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
55
House Bunny, The
54
Get Smart
53
Quarantine
53
Rocker, The
53
Lucky Ones, The
52
Longshots, The
51
Mamma Mia!
49
Sex Drive
49
Family That Preys, The
49
Soul Men
47
Swing Vote
47
X-Files: I Want to Believe, The
46
Lakeview Terrace
45
Blindness
45
Pride and Glory
43
Eagle Eye
43
Meet Dave
43
Death Race
41
Beverly Hills Chihuahua
39
Nights in Rodanthe
37
Miracle at St. Anna
36
Space Chimps
36
Righteous Kill
36
Fly Me to the Moon
35
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People
35
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
35
Mirrors
34
My Best Friend's Girl
31
Max Payne
28
Haunting of Molly Hartley. The
27
Women, The
26
Babylon A.D.
24
Bangkok Dangerous
20
American Carol, An
19
Saw V
15
Disaster Movie
15
College
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

xx
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53
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57
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64
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69
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68
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xx
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62
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84
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54
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xx
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75
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xx
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66
Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story
56
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55
Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The
50
Breakfast with Scot
61
Brick Lane
43
Call and Response
62
Changeling
49
Children of Huang Shi, The
47
Choke
46
Choose Connor
84
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41
Cthulhu
81
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father
xx
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62
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44
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63
Eden
xx
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66
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46
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80
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26
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64
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69
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26
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28
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52
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67
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37
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69
Frontrunners
82
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43
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73
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73
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54
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30
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84
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44
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27
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47
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54
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72
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70
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40
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64
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78
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63
JCVD
41
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xx
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62
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63
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27
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78
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81
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xx
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63
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89
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xx
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xx
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62
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84
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51
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79
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33
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59
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73
Obscene
40
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34
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40
Passengers
xx
Phoebe in Wonderland
55
Ping Pong Playa
75
Pool, The
77
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82
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56
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32
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xx
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53
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56
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74
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45
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57
Sixty Six
84
Slumdog Millionaire
52
Special
58
Splinter
79
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67
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82
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64
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57
Towelhead
72
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83
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43
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83
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61
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84
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52
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79
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61
Wackness, The
59
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55
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66
When Did You Last See Your Father?
89
Man on Wire
84
Slumdog Millionaire
84
Christmas Tale, A
84
Up the Yangtze
84
Ballast
84
Momma's Man
84
Happy-Go-Lucky
83
Trouble the Water
83
U2 3D
82
Tell No One
82
Frozen River
82
Rachel Getting Married
81
Let the Right One In
81
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father
80
Encounters at the End of the World
79
Stranded: I Have Come from a Plane That Crashed on the Mountains
79
Moving Midway
79
Visitor, The
78
I've Loved You So Long
78
Last Mistress, The
77
Pray the Devil Back to Hell
75
Pool, The
75
Betrayal - Nerakhoon, The
74
Secret, A
73
Girl Cut in Two, A
73
Obscene
73
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
72
Transsiberian
72
I Served the King of England
70
I.O.U.S. A
69
Ashes of Time Redux
69
Frontrunners
69
Fear(s) of the Dark
68
August Evening
67
Synecdoche, New York
67
Flow: For Love of Water
66
Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story
66
Elegy
66
When Did You Last See Your Father?
64
Thousand Years of Good Prayers, A
64
Fall, The
64
Appaloosa
64
In Search of a Midnight Kiss
63
JCVD
63
Eden
63
Man Named Pearl, A
63
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
62
Changeling
62
Kabluey
62
Duchess, The
62
Mister Foe
62
Baghead
61
Wackness, The
61
Brick Lane
61
Universe of Keith Haring
59
Nights and Weekends
59
We Are Wizards
58
Splinter
57
Towelhead
57
Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela, The
57
Sixty Six
56
Save Me
56
Religulous
56
Bottle Shock
55
Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The
55
What Just Happened?
55
Ping Pong Playa
54
Humboldt County
54
Battle in Seattle
54
Good Dick
53
RocknRolla
53
Allah Made Me Funny: Live in Concert
52
First Basket, The
52
Virtual JFK: Vietnam If Kennedy Had Lived
52
Special
51
Morning Light
50
Breakfast with Scot
49
Children of Huang Shi, The
47
How About You
47
Choke
46
Choose Connor
46
Elephant King, The
45
Shoot on Sight
44
Henry Poole is Here
44
Dukes, The
43
Call and Response
43
Tru Loved
43
Gardens of the Night
41
Johnny Got His Gun
41
Cthulhu
40
Igor
40
Other End of the Line, The
40
Passengers
37
Forever Strong
34
Otto; or Up with Dead People
33
My Name Is Bruce
32
Repo! The Genetic Opera
31
Hounddog
30
Guitar, The
28
Fireproof
27
House of the Sleeping Beauties
27
Lake City
26
Everybody Wants to Be Italian
26
Filth and Wisdom
xx
Dostana
xx
Phoebe in Wonderland
xx
All of Us
xx
Matador, The
xx
Billy: The Early Years
xx
Roadside Romeo
xx
B.O.H.I.C.A.
xx
Eden Lake
xx
Just Buried
xx
Beer for My Horses
xx
Mary
xx
Lower Learning
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
|
Being Julia
Sony Pictures Classics
FILM:
MPAA RATING: R for some sexuality
Starring
Annette Bening,
Catherine Charlton,
Jeremy Irons,
Michael Gambon,
Shaun Evans,
Bruce Greenwood,
Juliet Stevenson,
and
Rosemary Harris
This intoxicating combination of wicked comedy and smart drama stars Annette Bening as Julia Lambert, a beautiful and beguiling actress in 1930's London. (Sony Pictures Classics)
| GENRE(S): |
Comedy
|
Drama
|
| WRITTEN BY: |
Ronald Harwood
W. Somerset Maugham (novel Theatre)
|
| DIRECTED BY: |
István Szabó
|
| RELEASE DATE: |
DVD: March 22, 2005
Theatrical: October 15, 2004
|
| RUNNING TIME: |
105 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: |
Canada / USA / Hungary / UK |

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
88
Chicago Tribune
Michael Wilmington
Bening shines, and the film shines too.

83
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
William Arnold
The supporting performers all shine, especially Irons in the thankless role of the clueless cuckold husband.

80
Washington Post
Desson Thomson
Bening makes the movie into something finer still.

80
Chicago Reader
Meredith Brody
Witty, satisfying, and a terrific showcase for the radiant Bening.

80
Dallas Observer
Bill Gallo
Maugham's signature wit and tragic colorations are well served by director Istvan Szabo (Mephisto) and screenwriter Ronald Harwood (The Dresser).

80
Los Angeles Times
Kevin Thomas
The filmmakers have brought such breadth and depth to the material. Everyone counts in this film, not just Julia Lambert.

75
New York Post
Megan Lehmann
A pleasantly diverting period romp that Annette Bening turns into a wickedly funny tour de force.

75
Entertainment Weekly
Owen Gleiberman
Being Julia flirts too heavily with soap opera clichés, but it has enough surprises to keep you guessing, and for Annette Bening it's the liveliest of comebacks.

75
Christian Science Monitor
David Sterritt
Part of the movie's fascination is watching Ms. Bening play a role that tantalizingly mirrors her own position in today's movie world - and she does it with wit, sparkle, and all-out energy.

75
Miami Herald
Connie Ogle
Being Julia is really about the fear of aging and the battle to remain relevant professionally and sexually.

75
Baltimore Sun
Chris Kaltenbach
Bening's performance makes up for a lot of deficiencies.

75
Boston Globe
Ty Burr
You can feel her (Bening) drag Being Julia uphill for an hour and a half until the final 15 minutes, when the ground finally levels out and the picture becomes fine, vengeful fun.

75
San Francisco Chronicle
Carla Meyer
A one-woman show.

70
Salon.com
Stephanie Zacharek
Like a truffle in a fluted paper cup, a small delight made with care and attention to detail.

70
Washington Post
Stephen Hunter
May lack originality but makes up for it in sheer bravado and really nice clothes

70
The New Republic
Stanley Kauffmann
It is echt Maugham, in its somehow flattering cynicism, its character crinkles, its perceptions that sting even though they don't go very deep.

70
The Hollywood Reporter
Kirk Honeycutt
A delightful though wafer-thin starring vehicle for one of our finest actresses, Annette Bening.

70
Wall Street Journal
Joe Morgenstern
Ms. Bening is the only reason to see the movie, but a compelling reason. Just like Julia, she prevails over lesser mortals with unfailing zest.
70
TV Guide
Maitland McDonagh
A tour de force and an utter delight, studded with priceless supporting bits by Miriam Margolyes, Maury Chaykin, Rosemary Harris and Rita Tushingham, each of whom steals at least one richly deserved moment in the spotlight.

70
Film Threat
Stina Chyn
Szabo could have made a conventional melodrama...The director takes an alternate route and offers his viewers a drama burnished with a coat of comedy.

67
Austin Chronicle
Marjorie Baumgarten
The little drama queen who lives inside each of us will find Being Julia hard to resist.

63
Charlotte Observer
Lawrence Toppman
Like a palate-cleansing sherbet in place of an entre?. It's mildly flavorful going down, leaves us hungry for something more substantial and fades from memory the moment we've finished it.

63
Chicago Sun-Times
Roger Ebert
Annette Bening plays Julia in a performance that has great verve and energy, and just as well, because the basic material is wheezy melodrama.

63
Philadelphia Inquirer
Carrie Rickey
Whether it's the clothing, cars or furniture, everything is sleek and chrome-plated. That is, with the exception of Bening's alchemical performance, which turns brass to gold.

63
New York Daily News
Jami Bernard
It's a virtual clip reel of grandly comic moments that remind us what a good actress can do when parts are scarce.

63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Rick Groen
A bland Shaun Evans is woefully miscast as the brash American.

63
ReelViews
James Berardinelli
Because I so enjoyed the last 45 minutes, I'm tempted to recommend it. The problem is that you have to sit through an hour to get to the worthwhile parts.

63
USA Today
Claudia Puig
Bening takes a complex, sometimes cloying character and makes her sympathetic - all the while pulling off a British accent with seeming ease. She single-handedly makes the movie worth seeing.

60
The New York Times
Dana Stevens
Being Julia may not make much psychological or dramatic sense, but Ms. Bening, pretending to be Julia (who is always pretending to be herself), is sensational.

60
LA Weekly
Kim Morgan
But for all Benings high emoting and her trademark giggle, here overused to the point of annoyance, for most of its length Being Julia offers little insight into a woman whose life is ruled by theatrics.

60
New York Magazine
Peter Rainer
Suggests a cross between "Sunset Boulevard" and "All About Eve." The suggestion, alas, doesn't go very far, but Bening's performance approaches the pantheon.

60
Variety
Todd McCarthy
A minor affair, a confection based on dalliances and the way a set of sophisticated theater people handle them, that lacks true distinction.

60
Newsweek
David Ansen
Films about great theatrical divas (so temperamental! So divine!) all strike familiar notes. This Somerset Maugham adaptation is no exception. But Annette Bening, playing the queen of the '30s London stage, makes it worth another go-round.

60
Empire
Anna Smith
It's a shame the suggested theme of identity remains undeveloped, but there are enough laughs and splashes of nostalgic glamour to excuse that.

50
Portland Oregonian
Marc Mohan
The performance of Bening (and, quietly, Irons) keeps Being Julia from being too tiresome.

50
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Keith Phipps
It looks handsome but seems infected by the idea of playing different roles; a comedy in one scene, it adopts a mood of a high seriousness the next and clutters the stage with minor characters that contribute little. In the end, this inability to make up its mind does the film in.

50
Village Voice
Leslie Camhi
Bening's comic gifts make the most of Ronald Harwood's witty screenplay, though she falls flat in her character's rare moments of sincerity.

50
Rolling Stone
Peter Travers
Hungarian director Istvan Szabo (Sunshine) overplays his hand and traps Bening in a role that's all emoting, no emotion.


The average user rating for this movie is 7.4 (out of 10) based on 14 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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