Let's face it. While women have made great strides and inroads in life outside of the home, there's still a great inequality in terms of equal pay, opportunity and more when compared to men. No matter how successful a woman might be at home or the workplace, she still must face the double-standard regarding her size, beauty and age. It's hard to make it -- or be considered a success even if you have -- if you're overweight, not stunningly attractive or are over forty.
That's particularly true in the entertainment industry. While there are exceptions to the rule, the young and attractive rule that world. That is, until they don't qualify for one or both categories -- in the eyes of others and even themselves -- and are then replaced by some pretty young thing who does.
At the beginning of "Being Julia," a fairy entertaining dramedy about such matters in the world of pre-WWII London, the title character isn't particularly concerned about that, at least not yet. Instead, she's facing a personal and professional midlife crisis where she's bored and worn out by having to carry her stage show night after night while there's no passion left in her friendly but not terribly romantic marriage to her husband-cum-director.
Like many a man of her middle-aged years, she then decides that the solution/remedy/antidote for what ails her will come in the form of some fresh young meat, namely a green American. She doesn't have to work hard, however, as he arrives in the form of an adoring fan. Their eventual affair -- over which her husband doesn't mind as long as it inspires her onstage performance -- develops on its own and she's suddenly full of reinvigorated passion and life.
When she discovers that a pretty young thing is about to steal away her new beau and potentially her career and husband, however, she puts her years of life and diva experience to good use in making sure she survives to fight another day, as it were, both on and off the stage.
Although it's based on W. Somerset Maugham's 1937 novel, "Theater," fans of the cinema and particularly that related to the stage will obviously see a striking similarity between this release and 1950's "All About Eve." In that film, Bette Davis similarly plays an aging star who must deal with an adoring fan and the notion of seeing her fame, fortune and professional identity in danger.
Here, the role falls in the ever able and capable hands of Annette Bening ("Open Range," "American Beauty"), an actress who's probably familiar with middle-age limiting the scripts sent her way. With a performance that's about as good and certainly as entertaining as her acclaimed predecessor, however, the actress should reacquire the attention of Hollywood dealmakers, particularly if she earns some likely award nominations for this role.
I just kept wishing that the overall film were as good. Mind you, it's certainly not bad, and comes off as entertaining enough for what it wants to be and do. That's particularly true once the title character sets her sights on putting the young upstarts in their place. Up until then, however, it's just a pleasantly diverting costume drama about midlife crises, albeit from a pampered diva's perspective.
What makes it work, however, is Bening. From her early snooty boredom (where her character is most reminiscent of Davis') through her affair-based revival and then cunning revenge, the actress hits every mark perfectly, creating a believable and engaging character. The story -- adapted from Maugham's source material by Ronald Harwood ("The Statement," "The Pianist") -- competently gets her from one stage to the next. Yet, beyond some brief moments of fun wit, the plot is rather pedestrian.
Director István Szabó ("Sunshine," "Mephisto") has made sure it moves along at a decent clip and everything looks great from a technical and visual standpoint (costumes, production design, etc. are all first-rate). Even so, there's just something missing to provide that extra spark to make the effort a classic. What's there certainly works and fans of the theater of old will probably like it better than casual viewers, but the overall effort -- especially leading up to the delicious ending - just need something extra to make it jump off the screen and grab the viewer.
Jeremy Irons ("Dead Ringers," "Reversal of Fortune") is perfectly cast as the typical, pipe-yielding and proper speaking director, while Lucy Punch ("Ella Enchanted," "Greenfingers") works as the aspiring actress who's after both Julia's job and suitor. Shaun Evans ("The Boys From County Clare") convincingly plays her "Aw shucks" turned something a bit more manipulative suitor; Bruce Greenwood ("The Core," "Thirteen Days") her good friend; and Michael Gambon ("Open Range," the "Harry Potter" films) plays her ghostly or imagination-based sage who appears from time to time to offer advice in matters of love and theater.
His character is present, like the other elements in the film including Tom Sturridge ("Vanity Fair," "Fairy Tale: A True Story") playing her son, to allow Bening's character to grow and realize that her stage and real-life personas have melded too much into one entity. Armed with such eventual knowledge and realization, she's then able to come to peace with her inner turmoil while also dealing with those manipulative young'uns.
Most notable for Bening's terrific performance, "Being Julia" might not be up there with the likes of "All About Eve," but it's good enough to earn a recommendation. The film rates as a 5.5 out of 10.
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