Review: 'Being Julia' shines on DVD

Posted Tuesday, March 22, 2005 at 9:03 AM Central

by John Couture

Perhaps a more fitting title for this week's Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Release Being Julia should have been Being Annette Bening. Ms. Bening is radiant in one of her best performances over her storied acting career, well-deserving of the Golden Globe win and Oscar nomination.

But the rich tapestry of Being Julia is woven by the tight group of actors, including a strong performance from the terribly under-appreciated Jeremy Irons, and their myriad of relationships with each other. On the surface, the story follows Julia Lambert, a 1930s London stage actress on the down side of life, and her husband, played to perfection by the aforementioned Irons. Slightly deeper, the politics of pre-World War II London cut a biting backdrop to the London theatre scene where devotion, deception and disguise still ruled the day.

Having reached the pinnacle of her career, Julia begins to long for something that her opulence can't provide her. Her search leads her into the arms of young American Tom Fennel (Shaun Evans). The twisted plot lines go back and forth from there leading to a very satisfying conclusion to all of the escapades.

Annette Bening excels at the difficult task of portraying an actress trying to play a different character for half the movie. Being someone else for a couple of hours is one thing, but being someone else trying to project a third character, now that takes real skill and for this reason Annette may have been robbed of this year’s Oscar (not having seen Million Dollar Baby yet, I will reserve my judgment for a later day).

Beyond the acting, the period is captured precisely from everything from the costumes to the mannerisms of the extras. This attention to detail makes the background blend away allowing the performances from the stellar cast to shine above everything else.

VIDEO The film is presented in a glorious 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen transfer. The widescreen presentation not only adds depth to the scenes in the theatre, but it also allows the viewer to soak more of the period ensemble working behind the action. The grandeur of the wide shots help to set the mood of the film at critical points.

The transfer is in near-perfect form and is devoid of any noticeable flaws. The chapter and layer transitions are smooth and crisp without the slightest pause.

AUDIO There is always an interesting duality when it comes to audio and movie genre. Some people tend to think that audio tracks are only important in loud, action-driven movies, while others point out that regardless of film type, the sound and dialog move the picture and should be given top priority.

It seems the former viewpoint ruled the day in this case, as the movie is without a DTS track. Nonetheless, the 5.1 Dolby Digital track more than holds its own, providing crisp and clear sound consistently through the film.

SPECIAL FEATURES For this type of film, the special features are surprisingly pretty good, especially given the quick turnaround from theaters to DVD. The highlight of the extras would probably be the audio commentary between stars Jeremy Irons, Annette Bening and director Istvan Szabo.

Jeremy takes the lead in the commentary and expertly combines methodology with interesting behind-the-scenes anecdotes that make you appreciate the final product even more. Bening’s contributions to the commentary track, while sporadic, give thoughtful insight into the acting process of one of the industry’s best actresses of this generation. In particular, a revealing moment where Bening reveals that she continues to critique her performance each time she sees a scene speaks volumes of her relentless desire for perfection.

The two featurettes both add to the overall package, but their brevity leaves the viewer wanting more. The “Behind the Scenes” feature is really just a glorified commercial for the film heavy on clips from the movie and background from the principal actors. On the other hand, “The Making of” feature is presented without any commentary and only minimal direction in the form of subtitles. This minimalist approach makes you feel as though you snuck onto the set of Being Julia and watched the movie-making process firsthand.

The four deleted scenes are fully produced and were most certainly cut for pacing or timing reasons as they all add more dimension to the film. In particular, the relationship between Evie and Julia is further explored throwing more light on the antiquated class system of England that was soon to dissolve. Another scene, in which Julia scans a restaurant for a perspective suitor shows the vulnerability of the aging star in a world that was just beginning to embrace the concept of youth over talent.

There are also several trailers for upcoming Sony Pictures films included to round out the disc.

RECOMMENDATION

Being Julia is a well-crafted film worthy of the acting praise that Annette Bening received, but it’s not a film that lends itself to repeat viewings. The lush backdrops and subtle filming nuances are reason enough to view this movie on the superior DVD format.