Being Julia

Being Julia - ***1/2

It is a great challenge to make a period piece that remains entertaining throughout, especially when that movie doesn't happen to involve a war. Being Julia instead focuses on an early 20th century English actress having a nervous breakdown. Annette Benning stars as Julia Lambert, the ultra talented English actress in a businesslike marriage with Michael Gosselyn, played by Jeremy Irons. Instead of a breakdown of the plot, I think there's too much to be said for Benning's performance in the film. She is truly brilliant in this role, and if her spot on performance doesn't earn her an Oscar nomination, there's something wrong with the voting Academy. The rest of the film is perfectly enjoyable, and the musical numbers are just as good as one could expect to see in the seemingly endless number of musicals from the past few years, but it's clear that Benning's performance is what elevates it. On screen Annette Benning plays an actress with a phenomenal gift. After watching the movie, it's clearly a case of art imitating life. Thumbs up.