This is a story about insiders in a theater in London in 1938. In particular it's about Julia Lambert (Annette Benning) and how she deals with a challenge of being sidelined in her career by middle age. When your livelihood and self identity depend to a great extent on physical appearance aging must be particularly difficult. So, one wonders to what extent Benning, who was in her mid-forties when she filmed this, is playing a part and to what extent she is playing herself. And that is the basic theme of this movie - when can you tell whether Julia is acting or when she is being truthful. Does *she* even know. More generally, we are all actors; in a given day how often do we speak what is really on our minds? How easy is it for us to determine the real thoughts of our friends? This film brings those questions to mind.
With the exception of Shaun Evans, playing an all too innocent, star-struck young American who improbably strikes up an affair with Julia, the actors turn in good performances. Jeremy Irons, who plays Julia's husband, is atypically without his usual existential angst. I particularly liked Juliet Stevenson who plays Julia's knowing dresser with great believability. I suppose, given the story line, this is an actor's movie and certainly without the fine cast there would not be much to recommend this slight story.
The period setting is nicely done with the old cars, hair styles, clothes, and so on. There are some scenes, like a large dance, that can excite the imagination. I would have thought that by 1938 the rise of Nazi Germany would have been mentioned more than once, and even that mention being rather naive (or was that meant to be ironic?)
With the exception of Shaun Evans, playing an all too innocent, star-struck young American who improbably strikes up an affair with Julia, the actors turn in good performances. Jeremy Irons, who plays Julia's husband, is atypically without his usual existential angst. I particularly liked Juliet Stevenson who plays Julia's knowing dresser with great believability. I suppose, given the story line, this is an actor's movie and certainly without the fine cast there would not be much to recommend this slight story.
The period setting is nicely done with the old cars, hair styles, clothes, and so on. There are some scenes, like a large dance, that can excite the imagination. I would have thought that by 1938 the rise of Nazi Germany would have been mentioned more than once, and even that mention being rather naive (or was that meant to be ironic?)