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Julia
Metascore
62 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 14
  3. Negative: 2 out of 14
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  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    100
    Tilda Swinton hasn't often been more fascinating than in Julia, a nerve-wracking thriller with a twisty plot and startling realism.
  2. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Noel Murray
    91
    In tone and plot, Julia often resembles an extended episode of the AMC series "Breaking Bad"--except that Swinton's character is never NOT bad.
  3. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Rene Rodriguez
    88
    Charles Bukowski would have loved this foul-mouthed, fiery, reckless woman. Against all odds and common sense, you will, too.
  4. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Gregory Valens
    80
    As Julia, Swinton belongs to that league of great cinematic alcoholics such as Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick in "Days of Wine and Roses" and Ray Milland in "The Lost Weekend." As an action character, she naturally evokes Gena Rowlands without ever trying to resemble her.
  5. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Manohla Dargis
    80
    Ms. Swinton demands to be seen even when her character is on a self-annihilating bender so real that you can almost smell the stink rising off her. So I sat in my seat, cursed the screen and was grateful to watch an actress at the height of her expressive power claw toward greatness.
  6. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Mick LaSalle
    75
    Goes to all the places a sensitive character study might have gone, but more dramatically, convincingly and vividly.
  7. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    75
    The movie's electrifying without being completely satisfying. Zonca and his star don't play by Hollywood rules, which is both good (keeps us off-balance) and less so (at times the film doesn't seem sure where it's going).
  8. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Lisa Schwarzbaum
    67
    This overlong, lurchy homage to John Cassavetes' 1980 film "Gloria" is a mess, but a fascinating one, given Swinton's desperately avid performance in the title role.
  9. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Scott Foundas
    60
    Tilda Swinton doesn't merely act the title role in French director Erick Zonca's Julia--she devours it, spits it back up, dances giddily upon it, twirls it in the air.
  10. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: Peter Rainer
    42
    Swinton's performance, and practically everything else about Julia, seems off – tone-deaf. She plays an out-of-control wastrel who enters into a kidnapping scheme gone horribly wrong, as does the movie.
  11. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Betsy Sharkey
    40
    As Julia struggles to survive her bad decisions, the film struggles to survive Julia. We never get a good look at her demons, just the havoc they wreak.
  12. Variety
    Reviewed by: Eddie Cockrell
    40
    The miscalculated and overlong Julia proves a startling misfire for "The Dreamlife of Angels" writer-helmer Erick Zonca and dependably fearless actress Tilda Swinton.
  13. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    38
    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.
  14. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Joe Neumaier
    20
    The end result is like Quentin Tarantino reworking a Charles Bukowski story.
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User Reviews

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User Score
8.9 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 14 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. stepheng
    10
    I was memorized by Swinton's devasting performance from start to finish. Tilda does deserve an Oscar for this!
  2. JayH
    7
    Tilda Swinton's amazing performance makes the film. She puts so much thought into every role. It's a good story, fine direction and cinematography. It's a very detailed film. One complaint, more should have been cut, it's overlong.… Full Review »
  3. BrentA
    10
    There are not enough words to describe the veracity of of Tilda Swinton's performance. She is unmatched in her brilliance. This movie is undoubtedly the best movie of the year, and Tilda Swinton needs an oscar for this role.… Full Review »
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