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Julia (2008) More at IMDbPro »

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35 out of 42 people found the following comment useful :-
If you missed this one at the cinemas, you'll be cursing yourself - much worse than Julia Harris, 16 March 2008
8/10
Author: Arun Pillai (thebathroomsinger) from France

INTRO:

One weekend, some weeks back I went to the movies with friends intending to watch 'Into the Wild'. But as things go in groups, somebody had already seen it and before I knew it plans were laid to watch a film about a girl who got gets pregnant – I protested (I hadn't even read the review on IMDb!!!) but I ended up watching it anyway – the result being 'Juno' just blew me away.. the story, the acting, the dialogs and of course – the soundtrack!

Once again I was to go to the cinemas… this time I had no real choices - the other options were Jumper, 10000BC and Julia (I'd seen the other good flicks already). I knew from 'trusted sources' that Jumper sucked and 10000 BC didn't really meet our high standards ;) So it came down to Julia - I didn't know what to expect of this film.. THERE WAS NO REVIEW ON IMDb!!! BUT I got brave - maybe I'd learned a lesson after having ventured into the unknown with Juno – or maybe it was the 50% discount at the movies this weekend.. I watched Julia!

The FILM:

When I came out of the cinema I swore to myself that this would be my first movie review on IMDb – not so much for the sake of writing a review but for the fact that I'd hate to let a good film go un-noticed! And Julia is a good film, it's a very good film – for it kept me glued to the screen once I got 'into' the film – which happened about 20 minutes into the movie..

Tilda Swinton played an award-winner of a role as the ever-cursing Julia Harris, who makes it a habit of waking up, unaware of where she's been sleeping. You know, the ease with which she plays an alcoholic totally convinced me that she did drink all that vodka during the making of the film. And unlike her other films, the camera does not show her in that special way that highlights her lovely eyes supported by those high, rounded cheekbones. But you will still fall in love with her – and you will also cut down on the alcohol and cigarettes and give up any ideas of easy ransom-money.

From the kidnapper to the kid-napped Tom – played by the talented Aidan Gould starts off as a kid who is made to nap all the time, more to make it easy for Julia to manage him than to keep him from escaping. But after he has been shoved around a bit, Julia starts to learn how to handle the kid and keeps him awake a lot more, and you start to see some interaction between the two.

Julia treats Tom as a mature individual and their conversations show that the kid does have some mature ideas in his head, probably only put there by his millionaire grandfather who is also his sole guardian - but he is quite smart for his age. He also starts to display a range of emotions, more than just fear or anger. You have to see the film to realize how delicate these are. My favorite though, was the look on his face when he wakes up next to a girl one morning – I wont tell you where or with whom or how, as that would be a 'spoiler' …literally!

Well, these are the two main characters that really 'make' this film and around them you will find others playing short but not insignificant roles. I could go on to give you my observations of the characters and my guesses on their lifestyles and make psycho-social analyses. But those are the kind of reviews which restricted my imagination as I watched other films – they didn't help me so I figure it won't be good for you either my fellow movie-lover-speculator…

To sum up, the film has a simple plot that unfolds with time, there aren't any super special effects, no fancy camera-work and despite all that, it still appeals to me – like many other simple films have. Normally I'd vote for a 7 on 10 for it being so smooth, but I left the cinema thinking about other probable outcomes, as I wasn't too happy about the way it ended… It was certainly possible, but I still wished it hadn't happened – but then I wonder how else would I have made the end to this film?? For having created this conflict in me, I'd like to give this film an 8 on 10.

And for the doubtful ones out there, reading this review to make up your minds – I dedicate this, my first IMDb review to you – go for it, you won't regret it!

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23 out of 26 people found the following comment useful :-
I adore this film, 19 August 2008
9/10
Author: weeelfie

I could not like this film more. Yes, it's messy. Yes, it's extreme... but it is precisely for these reasons that I adore it. In this age of one slick, bland, impeccably crafted and neutered blockbuster suppository after the other and at a time when so-called independent films are so often just show reels for wanna-be future suppository crafters, this is a breath of pure, animalistic, delightfully anarchic, fresh air. It is truly cinematic, ambitious, original and brilliant. The dialogue is a bit weak in places and it feels like it was edited in a rush, but those are my only complaints. Swintons performance is full of fantasy and compassion and anyone who has ever spent time around hard-core drinkers will know that it is 100% realistic. The entire experience of watching this film is like a binge weekend for the viewer: All threads unravel, reason becomes skewed and when sobriety finally kicks in, you are left with nothing. I was swept along in a complete state of reverie and found myself breathless and wishing it could go on longer when it ended. The colourful mix of characters and landscapes are beautifully framed and lit. The whole thing is like a bizarre European fairytale of what America is like. Oscars for best Actress and cinematography please!

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9 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Bring my darling boy to me, 19 March 2008
6/10
Author: richard_sleboe from Germany

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Elena, an AA regular, devises a wild scheme to abduct her estranged son, Tom, from his legal guardian, the boy's wealthy grandfather. While the plan is in progress, Elena's friend and accomplice Julia kidnaps Tom from his bodyguard to extort some money. The boy escapes, but Julia miraculously retrieves him from the salt flats of Southern California (or Arizona?). Mistaking a routine border patrol sweep for an LAPD manhunt, they accidentally cross into Baja California where the kid is promptly snatched by the Mexican mob. Sounds ludicrous? Totally. "Julia" is not a movie you will like for the plausibility of its plot. Its sole appeal is Tilda Swinton's amazing portrayal of a drunk, rising above the phlegm of intoxication to meet the challenges brought about by a near-nonsensical script. Although I liked the film, I think it's about an hour too long. The Tijuana episode is simply beyond belief.

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13 out of 22 people found the following comment useful :-
Brave, 15 July 2008
6/10
Author: kosmasp

Not only Tilda S. for taking on this role, but especially her. She goes all out for this role and I'd even go so far saying, that her performance is worthy a "Daniel Day Lewis" award (that's a joke, but I hope you get my point).

While I really loved her character at the beginning, it began to tumble and went kinda downwards from a certain point of the movie. Which all comes down to the really unlikeable "Julia" (main character). The problem is that not only couldn't I identify with her, from a certain point onwards I despise her. That also comes down to some of her choices, which I won't go into, because that would be spoiling the story.

Apart from Tilda, you have a few other great actors in this too. But as good as they are, they never overshadow the failings of the main character. Of course this was meant to be that way, but I couldn't like the movie as much as I'd love to, just for this simple fact.

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Drunk...You Didn't Say That To Me Two Hours Ago When I First Walked In Here!, 5 July 2009
9/10
Author: druid333-2 from United States

I have been an admirer of Tilda Swinton,since I first saw her in some of Derek Jarman's films,and moving on to acting in some mighty toothsome film fare after Jarman's untimely death due to complications from AIDS. Not only can she take on some roles in what could be considered "difficult" films,but she can fake an American accent quite well. Erick Zonka ('The Dreamlife Of Angels',The Little Thief') directs & co writes the screenplay (with Aude Py)about a self destructive 40 something,full blown alcoholic party girl,named Julia who's party girl days should have been behind her years ago. When she is ordered to attend an AA meeting by one of her best friends (played by veteran Canadian actor,Saul Rubinek), she meets up with a psychologically disturbed woman named Elena (played to the max by Kate Del Castillo),who wants Julia to kidnap her eight year old son from her Grandfather. Julia,with nothing to lose (and equally nothing to gain)is at first reluctant to go along with this scheme,but eventually goes along for the ride. What transpires is a botched kidnapping that goes from bad to worse to truly unbearable. Toss in an unintended trip to Mexico,and watch the fire get turned up to full 10. Comparisons to John Cassavete's film, 'Gloria' will be noted. Rated 'R'by the MPAA,this film contains pervasive raunchy language (both in English & Spanish),adult content & nudity & graphic,bloody violence. Leave the kiddies home

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1 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Could have been better but enjoyable., 7 January 2009
6/10
Author: Reverend_Summerisle from Oxford, Oxfordshire, England.

Let me ask you a question - what do you think when you hear the name Tilda Swinton? The White Witch in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe? The wife in Burn After Reading? For me, the wonderful Ms. Swinton is the mysterious thespian who, for many years, dominated Art-House cinema before springing into the more mainstream audiences in late 2005 when she played the villainess in C.S Lewis's classic and then – two years later - achieved her more irremovable status in January, 2008 when she picked up the award for Best Supporting Actress in Michael Clayton.

Less than a year later, here she is – returning to her art-house ancestry; playing the title character in 'Julia'; a 40-something Californian alcoholic whose pitiful life consists of cigarettes, liquor and endless one night stands. One morning, at an AA Meeting, she meets Elena (Kate del Castillo) a troubled Hispanic woman who – desperate to reignite her relationship with her estranged young son – offers her a proposition she simply cannot refuse: $50,000 – in exchange for her assistance in the kidnap of her son. Before long, Julia and her young hostage (11-year-old, Adian Gould) are driving across America and then through Mexican deserts and Favelas, with the police and the boy's rich grandfather's influential associates not far behind … The majority of Julia is a one-woman's show – with Tilda (despite my limited knowledge of her career) remaining on Academy-Award-Worthy top-form. Shedding her upper-class English background and abandoning her natural elegancy; she successfully adopts the rough working-class mannerisms and an uncannily-authentic volatile demeanour (possibly borrowed from Charlize Theron's performance in 'Monster') that combine together to make Julia Harris – quite possibly – one of the most authentic alcoholics in recent cinema history. Though she does dominate nearly every scene of the entire film, she is supported strongly by a list of fairly unknown stars including Kate del Castillo, Saul Rubinek, Horacio Garcia Rojas and, in particular, Aidan Gould. I do admittedly have a slight aversion to child-actors but here Erick Zonca (writer and director) exploits a bit of raw talent which – weakly – takes some of the limelight away from Tilda in each scene.

Julia's major floor would be the more theoretical side. Though Zonca does indeed direct with competence - making good-use of the on-location scenery (particularly in the second half of the film) - the script suffers from a few notable errors. For instance – the first half of the film follows Julia preparing for this kidnapping. Then a few short scenes establish the inevitable bond between her and the boy, but then - the film almost changes completely. It was almost as if – halfway through writing the script – Zonca watched City of God and decided to combine Julia with elements of a South American gangster film or something. In a long-winded fashion (without giving away an spoilers) what I'm trying to say is that the narrative changes halfway through the film – from an original American thriller to a Mexican crime/thriller, baring subtle similarities to the works of Fernando Meirelles, that – to be frank – are just unnecessary. A few needless subplots and unanswered questions don't help the film's closure either.

None the less the acting from Swinton and Gould to help boost the film's overall effect; as does a great list of post-production techniques, including a diverse soundtrack, subtle-but-effective SFX and a nice, original opening-sequence. It'd be nice to see this get a few Oscar/Golden-Globe nods in the foreign cinema-department next January. Though I shan't hold my breath – what with it competing with the likes of Il y a longtemps que je t'aime and Gomorra, two other successful foreign films that seem to be already sweeping up various awards.

'Julia' is a 15 certificate, 144 minutes long and contains strong language and scenes of violence.

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2 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
so sorry that this movie was not so dark and desperate, 16 March 2008
Author: GUENOT PHILIPPE (philippe.guenot@dbmail.com) from France

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I discovered it today.

This film is not boring at all, and I would say that the character of Tilda Swinton is absolutely outstanding; nothing in common with other foreseeable features.

Breathless and "stereotype passing round" would be the two main words to describe this movie directed by a French.

Unfortunately, the ending is a total failure. I was flabby, lost my stamina because of it. I waited something different from this movie.

BEWARE SPOILER !!!!!!.................................................

This kind of movie is absolutely inadequate with "cool" happy endings.

On the contrary, it must be awful, terrific, full of pain and despair.

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4 out of 24 people found the following comment useful :-
Miserable, 21 December 2008
4/10
Author: purrrpuss from United Kingdom

I hated this film. There are many things wrong - all to do with poor establishment of point of view. Who the viewer is supposed to follow I really don't know. Tilda's character is well portrayed but that does not make up for an impossible plot. Where does a penniless alcoholic get ready cash from at the drop of a hat? How do you drive a car for hundreds of miles without getting petrol? If you're an addict of some kind, well, I supposed you might get something from this miserable, less than entertaining film. If not, don't bother. You'll just be made very unhappy and you won't learn anything. Mexico comes out very badly - yes, OK there is a problem with crime but for God's sake we don't need to see this sort of thing. It feels like a con, the characters are all conners and quite frankly you'd be wasting money going to see it.

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