Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Victor Khomenko (M) on April 22, 2005 at 13:32:36

In Reply to: Re: Being Julia... or Being Very Mean Julia posted by patrickU on April 22, 2005 at 12:46:18:

As far as the film showing the vanity of actors, it is correct, but my point is not the subject, but rather the form in which it was done.

I am still looking forward to reading that part of the story, as I simply refuse to believe that was the author's intention - the episode was handled in a forceful, too direct to the point of being obnoxious fashion. In some way it also contradicts the very character of Julia, who, inspite of her many faults, of which vanity was perhaps the most pronounced, managed to remain a human being, with plenty of good facets to love and appreciate. The revenge, however, took life of its own, and while I will allow that most of us (all?) get get ballistic every now and then, capturing such a ballistic moment is hardly something that lends itself as a subject of a character study. And even if Julia was indeed capable of becoming irrationally cruel to the point of completely losing all human qualities, there was hardly any hint of that in the rest of the movie, making the final scene so grossly disproportionally absurd and unpleasant.

But as I said, I am willing to reserve my final judjement until I have chance to read how the author handles the episode.

Even in the moment of fury I expect some underlining human qualities to show... in a good work. Art is about knowing where to stop, and there was no stop there, just an almost absurdly Hollywoodian drive to succeed by refusing all limits of good taste. Julia's nemesis' faults were human, silly and quite forgivable. Her reaction, on the other hand, was merciless and full of genuine cruelty, making, all of a sudden, the young actress look far more human and deserving of a sympathy. I doubt that was the director's intention.

I agree that Bening deserves good credit for this work. It is the directing that I am having problem with, plus writing.

Mentioning Irons is almost pointless, as he is always great and pleasure to look at, so one hardly expects anything other than perfection and joy from that man.

Regarding the passion... it seems it generated plenty in you and this family, and this is far more than could be said of many other films... maybe you could ask AuPh gently what he thought about this movie?

By the time you get to Solaris you may be such an old man that you might confuse Tarkovsky with Soderbergh, and Clooney with Banionis... and perhaps life will be easier that way? You call me with your reaction and I can't even hear the phone anylonger...

Watching it between an enema and a diper change... what a bright future is ahead for us!