In “All About Eve,” Bette Davis uttered the unforgettable line, “Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”
In “Being Julia,” showing this weekend at the Sunrise as part of the SunFlix series, Annette Bening revs up a performance reminiscent of the great Davis herself.
Based on W. Somerset Maugham’s novel, “Theatre,” “Being Julia” is the story of a fortysomething British stage actress (Bening) who falls for a young American fan named Tom (Shaun Evans). Julia is bored of the play she’s been starring in, which is produced by her husband (Jeremy Irons). She wants to live a life of excitement and intrigue. Into this void steps the comely Tom, who woos her and entices her into an affair.
For fans of “All About Eve,” the outcome seems almost inevitable. Tom, for all of his considerable charm and good looks, is a social-climbing, financial leech. Julia sneeringly derides that she has to underwrite his lifestyle, but she is addicted to him and cannot stop. Unfortunately for Tom, he falls for a young, blonde would-be actress and makes only a token attempt to hide it from Julia. When she realizes what Tom’s up to, the ride gets bumpy indeed.
“Being Julia” is a treat to watch, mostly because Bening has such evident fun playing her part. Julia’s highs and lows are performed with great joy and anguish, but Bening never hams it up. For all of her screen presence, she also is remarkably restrained. In one scene, Tom has invited her up to his flat for the first time. His advances have all the delicacy of an earthquake, but when he sits a bit too closely to Julia on the settee, Bening removes her character in a quiet, subtle movement. As Julia wreaks her revenge, we hold our breath, watching her plot unfold.
Go see “Being Julia” and enjoy the ride.
Amy Parsons writes movie review for The Pilot.
