doclee32
Just watched this film on TV and love it. Tilda Swinton's acting is extremely good here. Most actresses tend to over-act in such a role but Tilda's acting is just perfect. The story line is good, fast moving and interesting. Good directing also judging from the high acting standard as a whole here. Surprised that this movie did not win any other awards other than the British. The movie happened in United States and Mexico and good choice of filming sites. Only thing I can suggest is to have a more dynamic tittle for the film. I have not watched this film until now because I was not aware it was going to be such a nice thriller type of film.
dusan-22
Solid movie. First of all, excellent acting of the female lead. I was impressed when read that the actress has never drunk a glass of liquor and we got to say that she was so convincing as alcoholic. Then, the movie itself deserves attention, it has solid dynamic plot and good story. What I don't like about this movie is passive camera that is following the heroine behind every corner through long shots as well as limited interaction with other characters. Also, I believe that ending supposed to be a little bit more sophisticated, refined in a film way. However, I do not agree that is unclear since we know all the time what is Julia's reason for kidnapping: she has no Acapulco or Swiss Bank plans, she does that to change her life. When she figured out that the kidnapped boy have already changed her life pretty much, he becomes more valuable reward.
jlongstreth-1
An outstanding film, Julia is full of improbable plot twists, failures, missteps, and desperation.Tilda Swinton stars as a woman at the end of her rope and probably, at the end of her life. Her despair and desperation in the throes of alcoholism are so real and so painful to watch. Julia is in pain from which she'll never recover, pain she's stopped trying to recover from because it's just too hard. Then Julia gets an offer she can't refuse. A sane, rational person would recognize the insanity and illogic from the beginning, but Julia is not sane or rational. And so the journey begins.Fantastic acting by the entire cast, and Tilda Swinton shines above them all. Gritty and realistic sets that reflect the characters in them to perfection. Relentless plot twists and turns that leave you wondering when Julia will take that final step of desperation. A slow blossoming of tenderness in a swamp of despair, an unexpected scene of real love where you thought love could never be, and then, you're thrown off the train at last.Highly recommended.
secondtake
Julia (2008)A hard edged tale of a woman pushed by her own desperation into crimes over her head. Tilda Swinton lets it rip here, in a vivid, color, cinema-verite style that depends as much on making you uneasy as anything. The characters are so believable, and the sequence of events stumbles along with such perfect inelegance (to say the least), you hate to see it all because what happens is pretty awful. The ground covered is a believable version of what an ordinary person with seemingly good moral structure is driven to by circumstance. In this case, it's about being pushed by her own sorry life to do something that breaks out of it. But it also begins as a curious compassion, a genuine skepticism overwhelmed by the possibilities. By thinking, why not? And of course, why not then becomes all too clear. It's this sense that it could by a stretch happen to you or me (hopefully not, but in theory) that gives the movie its chilling penetration.And the ending, as sensational as it gets, is a logical outcome of where we began, and there is a kind of victory, but it's no Hollywood ending, and that's a huge relief. Rather, it's as if you went along with a woman for the adventure of her life and it's the real thing, nothing held back, including disbelief, fear, violence, and sometimes, thankfully, a glimmer of hope. Very very well made--acting, writing, filming--but not everyone's cup of tea because it is so unsettling.
AD
