''Julia'' is a 2008 international co-produced

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and comb ...

film, directed by

Erick Zonca Érick Zonca is a French film director and screenwriter. His first films were shorts ''Rives'' (1992), ''Eternelles'' (1995), and '' Seule'' (1997). Zonca is best known for his critically acclaimed and award-winning 1998 feature film debut '' ...

and starring

Tilda Swinton Katherine Matilda Swinton (born 5 November 1960) is a British actress. Known for her roles in independent films and blockbusters, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award, in addition t ...

. It was shot in California and

Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...

. The film was inspired by the

John Cassavetes John Nicholas Cassavetes ( ; December 9, 1929 – February 3, 1989) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. First known as a television and film actor, Cassavetes also helped pioneer American independent cinema, writing and direc ...

film ''

Gloria Gloria may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music * Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise * Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise ** Gloria (Handel) ** Gloria (Jenkins) ...

''. For her performance, Tilda Swinton earned a nomination for

César Award for Best Actress The César Award for Best Actress (french: César de la meilleure actrice, link=no) is one of the César Awards, presented annually by the ''Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma'' to recognize the outstanding performance in a leading role o ...

Plot

In California, an alcoholic named Julia (

) is out of control, partying every night, and waking up in unknown homes with no memory of the previous night. Her reckless behavior costs her her job and she begins to go broke. She soon meets a mother, Elena ( Kate del Castillo), at an AA meeting. Elena takes Julia into her apartment after finding her passed out on the pavement one night. The following morning Elena explains that she wants to kidnap her son Tom (

Aidan Gould Aidan Gould (born February 26, 1997) is an American actor. He is the elder brother of actor Nolan Gould. Family and education Gould was born in Columbus, Georgia. The family moved to Phenix City, Alabama, when he was very young because his fathe ...

) from his wealthy grandfather and asks Julia to participate for $50,000. Julia declines, but after some time changes her mind. She visits an old friend to ask for his cooperation, but her offer is refused. She rides to the Mexican border, kidnaps the little boy and blackmails Elena's father-in-law for $2 million. The police discover her whereabouts and she flees, accidentally crashing her car through the wall dividing the United States and Mexico. There, the boy is kidnapped in turn by Mexican kidnappers. Her friend Mitch (

Saul Rubinek Saul Hersh Rubinek (born July 2, 1948) is a German-born Canadian actor, director, producer, and playwright. He is widely known for his television roles, notably Artie Nielsen on ''Warehouse 13,'' Donny Douglas on ''Frasier'', Lon Cohen on ''A N ...

) arrives in Mexico and gives Julia the ransom money. During the exchange, the Mexican kidnappers escape with the money, leaving the boy safely with Julia.

Cast

as Julia *

as Tom *

as Mitch * Kate del Castillo as Elena * Jude Ciccolella as Nick *

Bruno Bichir Bruno Bichir Nájera (born 6 October 1967) is a Mexican actor and one of the members of the Bichir family. Biography Bichir was born in Mexico City. He started his acting career at the age of five in several theater, film and television series. ...

as Diego *

Kevin Kilner Kevin Kilner (born May 3, 1958) is an American television and film actor. Life and career Kilner was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Dorothea, a kindergarten teacher, and Edward Kilner, who worked in advertising sales and insurance. He we ...

as Johnny *

Ezra Buzzington Ezra Buzzington is an American character actor in film and television. A figure in underground cinema, Buzzington is also the founder of the Seattle Fringe Festival and co-founder of the New York International Fringe Festival. Career With ove ...

as George *

Eugene Byrd Eugene Byrd (born August 28, 1975) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Wink in the film '' 8 Mile'' and Dr. Clark Edison on the FOX series '' Bones''. Early life Byrd was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Gre ...

as Leon *Horacio Garcia Rojas as Santos *John Bellucci as Phillip * Roger Cudney as Frank *Neko Parham as Ejay

Reception

The film premiered in February 2008

Berlin Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the fest ...

and received very positive reviews in Germany as well as in other European countries. David Gordon Smith, writing for ''Der Spiegel'', called it "one of the most stylish movies" in the competition and referred to Tilda Swinton as an "unforgettable leading lady." Markus Zinsmaier, in ''Die Zeit'', said the film was one of the highpoints of the festival and had high praise for Swinton. Immediately after its success in Berlin, the movie was widely distributed in Germany. The film was praised in the French press also and was called a "French film with English dialogue." ''L'Humanité'' felt that the film ought to have won the competition and that Swinton should have won for best actress. The Dutch press praised the movie also. Kevin Toma of

De Volkskrant ''de Volkskrant'' (; ''The People's Paper'') is a Dutch daily morning newspaper. Founded in 1919, it has a nationwide circulation of about 250,000. Formerly a leading centre-left Catholic broadsheet, ''de Volkskrant'' today is a medium-sized c ...

called the movie "uncompromising," of "recalcitrant, dizzying beauty." Another Dutch reviewer, Constant Hoogenbosch of ''Moviemachine'' was less positive, stating the movie was too long, but in the end was saved by Swinton's performance. A few U.S. reviewers disagreed with the generally positive European reviews. For example, Eddie Cockerell of ''Variety'' felt the scenes with

tied up and at gunpoint were "uncomfortably exploitative" and that Julia's redemption at the end of the film was "more convenient than emotionally earned," feeling that the film would not do well when brought to the U.S. During an Cinemacy interview with director Randy Moore and co-star Elena Schuber when promoting '' Escape from Tomorrow'', the lead actor Roy Abramsohn chose both ''Julia'' and '' Bernie'' as his favourite films during Ebertfest 2013, during his interview, in which ''Escape from Tomorrow'' also premiered.

Release

The film made its debut February 9, 2008 at the

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the fest ...

, and then was released for worldwide theatrical release: March 12, 2008 in France; May 7, 2008 in Belgium; June 19, 2008 in Germany; August 10, 2008 in India; August 14, 2008 in the Netherlands; August 21 in Kuwait. The film had a limited theatrical release in the United States on April 24, 2009 and was released on DVD on August 18, 2009.

References

External links

* * * * *{{mojo title, id=julia09, title=Julia
IONCINEMA.com Interview with Erick Zonca
2008 films 2008 crime drama films 2008 thriller drama films 2000s Spanish-language films French crime drama films French thriller drama films Films about alcoholism Films about child abduction in the United States Girls with guns films Films directed by Erick Zonca English-language French films English-language Mexican films 2000s French films