Julia
(2008/Magnolia/MagNet DVD)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C- Film: B-
Tilda
Swinton is an amazing actress and following her Academy Award-winning turn in
the ever-underrated Michael Clayton
(2007), Erick Zonka’s Julia (2008)
was released, but not enough people got to see the film. Now, Magnolia has issued it on DVD and it
shows an actress at the peak of her powers delivering a fine performance so
wild and powerful that it saves the film just when you think it might go
wrong. At 144 minutes, any film is hard
to sustain, but this is never dull for long.
As the
alcoholic title character, she drifts around having one-night stands and
getting by on short-term jobs and other quick buck schemes. Bored and never keeping the best possible
company, she runs into a mother who is on the outs with her rich husband and
becomes deeply involved with a crazy money scheme that could get her in the
worst trouble of her life. She can be
insane and she is about to finds a circumstance that will match her madness.
This is
one of those interesting films that once people start seeing it, they will be
talking about it for along time. If
handled by a major studio (when they used to take more risks), this could have
been a surprise hit, but even with its minor flaws, it has an energy that we do
not see enough in non-commercial films and Magnolia was very smart to pick it
up. Swinton is amazing here,
transforming herself into a character through this role that will add to her remarkable
career. Swinton is reason alone to see
this film, if nothing else, but that it is so interesting and good; it is worth
going out of your way for.
The
anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image is stylized, a little weak in definition
and has some Video Black limits, but looks good for this format and Director of
Photography Yorick Le Saux keeps a very consistent look going that adds to the
suspense and feel of the narrative events.
Composition is a plus. I wish
this was on Blu-ray, which will likely not be far away. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is a little better
than the 2.0 Stereo track, but this is dialogue-based and is limited on
surrounds and soundstage. With that
said, the sound has character and a decent but not intrusive score by Pollard
Berrier and Darius Keeler. The only extras
are a trailer and deleted scenes.
- Nicholas Sheffo
