Being Julia (2004)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

István Szabó

Writers:

Ronald Harwood (writer)
W. Somerset Maugham (novel)

Release Date:

28 October 2004 (Israel)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Passion. Obsession. Revenge. Prepare for the performance of a lifetime.

Plot:

Set in '30s London, the film involves stage actors and their experiences with love and revenge.

Plot Keywords:

Revenge | 1930s | Actress | Social Climber | Diva

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 6 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Michael Gambon	...	Jimmie Langton
Annette Bening	...	Julia Lambert
Leigh Lawson	...	Archie Dexter
Shaun Evans	...	Tom Fennel
Mari Kiss	...	Mr. Gosselyn's Secretary
Jeremy Irons	...	Michael Gosselyn
Ronald Markham	...	Butler
Terry Sach	...	Chauffeur
Catherine Charlton	...	Miss Philips
Juliet Stevenson	...	Evie
Miriam Margolyes	...	Dolly de Vries
Max Irons	...	Curtain Call Boy
Andrew Paton Story Busher	...	Male Singer
George Lang	...	Antoine the Maitre D
Michael Culkin	...	Rupert
Marsha Fitzalan	...	Florence
Bruce Greenwood	...	Lord Charles
Denzel Sinclaire	...	Singer / Pianist (as Denzal Sinclaire)
Julian Richings	...	Mr. Turnbull
Tom Sturridge	...	Roger Gosselyn
Sheila McCarthy	...	Grace Dexter
Lucy Punch	...	Avice Crichton
Teresa Churcher	...	Cynthia
Rosemary Harris	...	Julia's Mother
Rita Tushingham	...	Aunt Carrie
Maury Chaykin	...	Walter Gibbs
István Komlós	...	Prompter
Bruce Anderson	...	Jewellery Shop Assistant
Bryan Burdon	...	Busker 'Chamberlain'
Alison Jiear	...	Female Singer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Barnabás Réti	...	Lord Charles' friend (uncredited)

Directed by
István Szabó

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ronald Harwood		writer
W. Somerset Maugham		novel "Theatre"

Produced by
Sandra Cunningham	....	co-producer
Robert Lantos	....	producer
Mark Milln	....	executive producer
Mark Musselman	....	co-producer
Marion Pilowsky	....	executive producer
Julia Rosenberg	....	co-producer
Kevan Van Thompson	....	line producer

Original Music by
Mychael Danna

Cinematography by
Lajos Koltai

Film Editing by
Susan Shipton

Casting by
John Buchan
Celestia Fox

Production Design by
Luciana Arrighi

Art Direction by
Paul Ghirardani
Lóránt Jávor

Set Decoration by
Zoltán Horváth
Attila Köves
Ian Whittaker

Costume Design by
John Bloomfield

Makeup Department
Elle Elliott	....	hair stylist: Annette Bening
Judit Endrényiné	....	makeup artist (as Judit Endrényi)
Erzsébet Forgács	....	makeup supervisor
Kajtar 'Bogyo' Janosne	....	hair stylist supervisor (as Bogyó Kajtár)
Kat Kairo	....	makeup assistant: London & Jersey
Lesley Lamont-Fisher	....	makeup artist: London/Jersey
Chris Redman	....	hairdresser: London/Jersey
Stephen Rose	....	personal hair stylist: Ms. Benning
Jordan Samuel	....	personal makeup artist: Ms. Bening
Eric Scruby	....	hairdresser: London/Jersey
Sarah-Jane Sheehy	....	makeup artist: London/Jersey
Anna Tesner	....	makeup artist: extras

Production Management
Neil Chordia	....	co-production manager
Kate Dain	....	production manager
Kinga Kovacs	....	assistant unit manager
Philip Morris	....	line production manager
Lajos Óvári	....	unit production manager
Gábor Téni	....	unit manager
Lori A. Waters	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Adam Barrington	....	third assistant director: London/Jersey
William Dutton	....	second assistant director: London/Jersey
Gergely Fülöp	....	assistant director
László Janicsek	....	first assistant director
Lídia Jung	....	trainee assistant director
Dávid Spáh	....	third assistant director
Guy Travers	....	first assistant director
Matthew Wehrle	....	crowd assistant director

Art Department
Alan Bailey	....	property master
Kinga Baranyai	....	set decoration production assistant
Péter Brill	....	construction manager
Roy Chapman	....	set dresser: UK
Aaron Chetwynd	....	stand-by art director: UK
Judit Csák	....	draughtsperson
Mike Cuddy	....	props storeman: UK
János Czakó	....	property master
Billy Edwards	....	property buyer
Colin Ellis	....	set dresser: UK
Kimberley Fahey	....	art department trainee
Dave Fisher	....	stand-by props
Dean Fisher	....	stand-by prop
Steve Furneaux	....	stand-by carpenter: UK
Éva Gerö	....	assistant set decorator
John Gibson	....	key carpenter: UK
Jason Hopperton	....	set dresser: UK
Péter Kovács	....	construction manager
Tony Lenman	....	key painter
Warren Lever	....	carpenter
Mihály Marton	....	stand-by props
József Ócsai	....	stand-by construction manager
Gábor Parányi	....	assistant set dresser
Pippa Roberts	....	graphic coordinator
Robert Sansom	....	construction manager: UK
Miklós Schmelcz	....	construction manager (as Miklós Schmelz)
Pater Sparrow	....	art department runner
Pater Sparrow	....	assistant art director
Lajos E. Szabó	....	stand-by construction manager
Zoltán Szabó	....	assistant set decorator
Krisztina Szilágyi	....	draughtsperson
Zoltán Verebes	....	art department runner

Sound Department
Fred Brennan	....	dialogue and adr editor
Kathy Choi	....	first assistant sound editor
Janie Dahn	....	adr facility coordinator: UK
Roderick Deogrades	....	sound effects editor
Nick Foley	....	assistant adr recordist: UK
Stefan Fraticelli	....	foley artist
Jamie Gould	....	re-recording assistant
Matthew Hussey	....	first assistant sound editor
Simon Kaye	....	production sound mixer
Garrett Kerr	....	dialogue editor
Thomas Kodros	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
János Köporosy	....	playback operator
Goro Koyama	....	foley artist
Andy Malcolm	....	foley artist
Anna Malkin	....	foley recording assistant
Ron Malligers	....	foley recording mixer
Margot Massie	....	sound
David McCallum	....	sound effects editor
Chris Navarro	....	adr recordist
Daniel Pellerin	....	sound re-recording mixer
Szabolcs Stella	....	utility sound
David Sutton	....	boom operator
Ted Swanscott	....	adr mixer: UK
Jane Tattersall	....	supervising sound editor
Andrew Tay	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eric Thompson	....	adr mixer
Don White	....	foley recording mixer
Rebecca Wright	....	foley recording assistant
David Yonson	....	adr mixer: Toronto
Mark Zsifkovits	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Gábor Balogh	....	standby special effects technician
János Berki	....	standby special effects technician
David Harris	....	special effects: London/Jersey (as Dave Harris)
Gabor Kiszelly	....	special effects assistant
Gyula Krasnyánszky	....	pyrotechnic supervisor
Ferenc Ormos	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Genevieve Forte	....	digital artist
John Furniotis	....	digital artist
Chris Wallace	....	HD colourist
Motassem Younes	....	digital opticals

Camera and Electrical Department
Gyula Balogh	....	electrician
Csaba Bankhardt	....	electrician
Balázs Bélafalvy	....	camera operator (as Balázs Bélafalvi)
Andrew Curling	....	best boy: UK
Dániel Decsi	....	camera loader
István Decsi	....	focus puller
Alex Dukay	....	still photographer
Paul Facer	....	electrician: UK
Károly Gál	....	best boy (as Gaál Károly)
Ákos Gulyás	....	second assistant camera
Stuart Howell	....	Steadicam operator: UK
Adam Korneth	....	video assistant
Tamás Krausz	....	electrician
Sabrina Lantos	....	assistant still photographer
Joe McGee	....	practical electrician
Zsigmond Molcsan	....	electrician (as Zsigmond Malcsán)
Tamas Nyerges	....	Steadicam operator
Luis Santos	....	lighting technician
István Szaladják	....	camera operator
Rudolf Takacs	....	gaffer (as Takács 'Golyó' Rudolf)
Mary Thompson	....	video assistant: UK
András Tóth	....	dolly grip
József Trombitás	....	grip

Casting Department
Jay Benedict	....	adr voice casting
Alex Johnson	....	casting assistant: UK
Tamás Kertész	....	extras casting
Mari Makó	....	casting: Hungary
Jonathan Payne	....	casting assistant: Canada
Phoebe Scholfield	....	adr voice casting
Gail Stevens	....	additional casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Imre Béres	....	costume assistant
Charlotte Bird	....	costume assistant: UK
Sándor Csajbók	....	costume assistant (as Sandor Csajbok)
Anikó Fazekas	....	costume assistant
Mónika Frankl	....	costume assistant
Gabriella Hógye	....	costume assistant
Attila Jánosi	....	costume assistant
David Murphy	....	wardrobe supervisor: UK
Miklós Nemes	....	costume assistant
Steven Paige	....	costume assistant: UK
Magdalen Rubalcava	....	assistant costume designer
Gábor Simkó	....	costume assistant
Móni Simkó	....	costume assistant (as Mónika Simkó)
Zsuzsa Stenger	....	wardrobe supervisor
Gabor Szabo	....	costumer
Gyula Zámbó	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Chad Glastonbury	....	negative cutter
Chris Hinton	....	color timer
Brigitte Rabazo	....	first assistant editor
Catherine Rankin	....	negative cutter
Emma Sanders	....	post-production coordinator
Chris Wallace	....	colorist: high definition

Music Department
Lesley Barber	....	song producer
Mychael Danna	....	orchestrator
Mychael Danna	....	score producer
Nicholas Dodd	....	conductor
Nicholas Dodd	....	orchestrator
Liz Gallacher	....	music supervisor
Paul Intson	....	music editor
Ron Korb	....	musician: flute
Dan Parr	....	music preparation
Michael Perlmutter	....	music clearances (as Michael A. Perlmutter)
Ron Searles	....	music score recording engineer
Ron Searles	....	score mixer
Ron Searles	....	score recordist
Rob Simonsen	....	assistant to composer
Lenny Solomon	....	orchestra contractor
Youki Yamamoto	....	music preparation

Transportation Department
Péter Balogh	....	transportation captain
Simon Barker	....	unit transportation captain: UK
Zoltán Fohn	....	driver
Zsolt Spitzer	....	driver
Zsolt Zászló	....	production driver

Other crew
Guy Barker	....	production accountant
Eva Borsos	....	assistant accountant
William Cameron	....	title designer
Richard Carless	....	marine specialist: UK
John Charles	....	software engineer: Sony DAC
Catherine Charlton	....	dialogue coach
Clair Chrysler	....	lead stand-in: Annette Bening
Jared Connon	....	second location manager
Ken Dhaliwal	....	production legal counsel
Brad Fox	....	production finance coordinator
Gergely Fülöp	....	set production assistant
Rita Galántai	....	production secretary
Piers Gielgud	....	choreographer
Tamás Guba	....	location manager
Lucy Jack	....	production coordinator
Isabella Kaliff-Lewis	....	assistant location manager: Jersey
Anya Keith	....	assistant coordinator
Balázs Kovács	....	extras coordinator
Barnabás Kovács	....	production assistant
Jennifer Lambert	....	unit nurse
Steven Lewis	....	finance legal
Meredith Mohr	....	assistant: Ms. Bening
Steve Mortimore	....	location manager
Jay Parsons	....	production secretary: UK
E. Andrew Pecs	....	supervising accountant
Ceris Price	....	publicist
David Scott	....	production assistant
Asha Sharma	....	location assistant
Karen Shaw	....	production coordinator
Michael Solomon	....	assistant: Mr. Lantos
Jeffrey Spitzer	....	assistant to director
Enikö Szakács	....	cashier
Esther Szasz	....	assistant: Jeremy Irons
Eszter Szász	....	assistant: Mr. Irons
Beatrix Szombati	....	assistant: Mr. Lantos
Ned Vukovic	....	dialect coach: post-production
Kelly Willson Harvey	....	assistant: Robert Lantos
Judith Windsor	....	dialect coach
Emma Woodcock	....	assistant location manager
Youki Yamamoto	....	midi transcriptor
Elaine Yarish	....	script supervisor
Éva Zöld	....	assistant production coordinator

Production Companies

• Serendipity Point Films
• First Choice Films
• Hogarth Productions
• Myriad Pictures

Distributors

• Sony Pictures Classics (2004) (USA) (theatrical)
• THINKFilm
• Myriad Pictures
• Alfa Films (2005) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Alliance Atlantis Vivafilm (2004) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Film Distributors (2004) (UK) (theatrical)
• Concorde Filmverleih (2005) (Germany) (theatrical)
• FS Film Oy (2005) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Filmax S.A. (2004) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Golden Village (2005) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• LNK Audiovisuais (2005) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Mikado (2005) (Italy) (theatrical)
• SPI International (2005) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2005) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures (2005) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Xenix Filmdistribution (2005) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Concorde Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Hollydan Works (2005) (Yugoslavia) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (2005) (Brazil) (all media)
• La Fabrique de Films (2004) (France) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Switzerland) (DVD) (German speaking region)

Special Effects

• Film Effects (visual effects)

Other Companies

• AFM Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• Access Bookings  accommodation
• Angels  wardrobe rentals
• Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)  score mixed at (as CBC Studio 44)
• Casablanca  digital sound recording
• DeLuxe Sound  re-recording services (as Deluxe Sound & Picture)
• DeLuxe Sound  video mastering (as Deluxe Sound & Picture)
• DeLuxe Toronto  film lab: post-production
• Deluxe Post-Production  post-production facilities
• Deluxe  film lab: production (as Deluxe London)
• Dennis Davidson & Associates Public Releations (DDA)  unit publicity
• Donna Daniels Public Relations  publicity
• Film Effects  digital opticals
• Film Effects  titles
• Focus - Fox Studio  film lab: production
• Footsteps Post-Production Sound  foley services
• Future Post Production Ltd.  digital sound recording
• Future Post  digital sound recording (as Future Post Production Ltd.)
• Gamma Studios  main titles design
• Glenn Gould Studio  orchestra recorded at (as Glenn Gould Studio - Toronto)
• High Tech Media Services  master continuity and spotting list (as Hi Text Media Services)
• Hollydan Works  production services
• Katmadhu Productions  post-production accounting
• Kodak Hungary  film lab: production (as Kodak Cinelabs Hungary)
• Mad Dog Casting  extras casting
• Moviecam Camera Rentals  camera equipment provided by (as Moviecam Camera Rentals Hungary)
• Moviecam Camera Rentals  grip and lighting equipment (as Moviecam Camera Rentals Hungary)
• S.L. Feldman & Associates  music clearances
• Speed of Light  grip and lighting equipment
• Sync or Swim  loop group
• Tattersall Casablanca  digital sound recording (as Casablanca - Toronto)
• Theatre D Digital  avid editing equipment
• Theatre D Digital  digital screening facility
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack released by
• Wood Hall Catering  catering

Also Known As:

Csodálatos Júlia (Hungary)

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexuality.

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

Canada | USA | Hungary | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Sweden:Btl | Brazil:12 | Ireland:15 | Malaysia:U | Hungary:14 | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-11 | Hong Kong:IIB | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:M18 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | UK:12A | USA:R | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company:

Serendipity Point Films

Trivia:

Miranda Richardsonwas originally attached to play Julia Lambert.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In a scene in the dressing room Julia asks for a beer and her husband gets her a beer and twists off the cap. Twist off caps were not used until after the war.

Quotes:

Florence: I think I used to know your father in Jersey, he was a doctor, wasn't he? He used to come to our house quite often.
Julia Lambert: Actually, he was a vet, he used to go to your house to deliver the bitches. Your house was full of them.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 62nd Annual Golden Globe Awards (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Mad about the Boy

How Julia Got Her Groove Back

Being Julia is a very entertaining picture aimed at the over 40 demographics, which is nice for a change since most of the films these days are aimed at the 25 and younger crowd. The story is great. I haven't read the book, so I don't know if the credit goes to the screenwriter or the author. Annette Bening's performance carries the film.

The bad news is, it could have been better. My first complaint is the photography has a yellow/green cast to it, which makes the film visually dull. This is a shame since Annette Bening is so radiant. My second complaint is the directing is competent but not much more. It's pretty much what you would expect from a made for TV film but not an art house film. A visionary director could have made this film great rather than merely good. My third complaint is that it is similar to All About Eve, Sunset Boulevard, and 20th Century; but it is not at the same level of those classics, due to the reasons given above.

This is a film about the theater and in my favorite scene her son tells her that she is always acting. Some people might be turned off by the style of the dialog, but it fits the context of the film. One of the devices of the film is that the ghost of her acting mentor is always watching over her like a guardian angel. The ending of the film couldn't have been better, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

Overall, this is currently one of the top 3 films in the theater and if you are lucky enough to have it playing in your area, you should see it. 8/10