Julia (2008)

A woman tries to extort money, using a young boy as bait.

Director:

Erick Zonca

Writers:

Roger Bohbot (adaptation), Michael Collins (adaptation),

Stars:

Tilda Swinton, Saul Rubinek, Kate del Castillo

3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tilda Swinton	...	Julia
Saul Rubinek	...	Mitch
Kate del Castillo	...	Elena
Aidan Gould	...	Tom
Jude Ciccolella	...	Nick
Bruno Bichir	...	Diego
Horacio Garcia Rojas	...	Santos
Mauricio Moreno	...	José
Gaston Peterson	...	Miguel (as Gastón Peterson)
Kevin Kilner	...	Johnny
John Bellucci	...	Phillip
Ezra Buzzington	...	George
Roger Cudney	...	Frank
Eugene Byrd	...	Leon
Sandro Kopp	...	Marcus

Storyline

Julia is a drunk. She loses her job in real estate and at an A.A. meeting meets a neighbor, Elena, an addled Mexican woman who talks about having lots of money and a plan to kidnap her own son from the boy's grandfather, a wealthy businessman. Elena wants Julia's help. Julia says yes with her own plan to do this alone. Following Elena's plan, Julia manages to grab the boy, Tom, who's about 10. Now what? She asks for a ransom. Tom's grandfather and his money are connected directly to Mexican drug trafficking, so Julia is up against long odds. Will anyone make it out alive?

---

Plot Keywords:

boy | money | neighbor | meeting | aa meeting | 

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive language, some violent content and brief nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [fr]

Country:

France USA Mexico Belgium

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

12 March 2008 (France)

Also Known As:

Apagogi horis antikrysma

Filming Locations:

Four Aces - 14499 E. Avenue Q, Palmdale, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$12,524 (USA) (8 May 2009)

Gross:

$64,482 (USA) (31 July 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Productions Bagheera, Le Bureau, France 3 Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

144 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In real life, Tilda Swinton, who plays an alcoholic in the film, cannot drink. She says she would fall asleep after having just one glass.

---

Goofs

When Julia finds Tom unconscious in the desert, she gets out of the car and shouts Tom's name several times as she runs towards him. Listen carefully, and you'll hear Tilda Swinton calling out 'Tom' with her real life English accent instead of her character's American accent.

---

Quotes

Julia: And it's time *my* luck changed. And it's time something went right for *me*!

---

Connections

References Gloria (1980)

---

Soundtracks

"You can do it "
(K.D. McCord / A. Meyers)
Performed by Al Hudson and the Partners
Courtesy of MCA Records INC

User Reviews

Woman on the edge

Eric Zonca directed the sublime 'The Dream Life of Angels', a beautiful story of female friendship and existential despair. 'Julia', his first film for 9 years, is equally powerful, but much less charming. Tilda Swinton is great as Julia, but her character is absolutely unlikeable; the plot, meanwhile, though harrowing, in places strains credibility, especially in its portrait of Mexico as a literal hell on earth. Yet Zonca's talent is also on display, and the story commands your attention in spite of its unpleasantness. The ending is ambiguous, potentially interpretable as redemptive, but not clearly so. I'm not sure this is a great film; I am sure I want to see more from this director.