After the surprising thematic unity of day two of Ebertfest (the four films screened explored similar topics), with day three’s picks Roger Ebert seemed more interested in exploring contradictions. The day began with director Joachim Trier’s Oslo, August 31st, a Norwegian film that follows a recovering drug addict, Anders, over the course of his day. Anders has two weeks left in his rehabilitation facility outside the city and is given a day’s leave so he can go to Oslo for a job interview. The film rides along peacefully with Anders over this day, allowing the audience to sit with him, trying to piece together a picture of this rather complicated man; who he is, who he was, and how he got where he is. It doesn’t seek to give answers, rather it embraces the reality that for many addicts, there isn’t one triggering factor or illuminating insight.
- 4/20/2013
- by Kate Kulzick
- SoundOnSight
The 53rd San Francisco Film Festival will begin April 22nd and the film Julia will be in attendance. To show May 1st at 5:30, Julia is a film about a sleazy, vile protagonist who kidnaps a young boy for some quick cash (Sfiff). This lonely booze-hound double-crosses another kidnapper and soon Julia's life spirals ever downward. An action-packed thriller Julia is not to be missed along with several other noteworthy cinema treasures. All the details on the San Francisco Film Festival and Julia can be found below.
The synopsis for Julia here:
"Julia is a drunk. She loses her job in real estate and at an A.A. meeting meets a neighbor, Elena, an addled Mexican woman who talks about having lots of money and a plan to kidnap her own son from the boy's grandfather, a wealthy businessman. Elena wants Julia's help. Julia says yes with her own plan to do this alone.
The synopsis for Julia here:
"Julia is a drunk. She loses her job in real estate and at an A.A. meeting meets a neighbor, Elena, an addled Mexican woman who talks about having lots of money and a plan to kidnap her own son from the boy's grandfather, a wealthy businessman. Elena wants Julia's help. Julia says yes with her own plan to do this alone.
- 3/31/2010
- by Michael Ross Allen
- 28 Days Later Analysis
Writers: Roger Bohbot and Michael Collins
Director: Erick Zonca
Cast: Tilda Swinton, Saul Rubinek, Kate del Castillo, Aidan Gould
Studio: Magnolia Pictures
Rating: 7.5/10
In the world of bad decisions, I wonder what the percentage is between those that are just plain bad and those that are made because you’re broke, desperate, or drunk (or all three) and the decision seems wise given your state of mind. I mean yeah, we all just plain screw up or make a bad call or pursue an idea that’s just flat out wrong, but the human ability to fuck up big-time quadruples when you’re broke, drunk, and/or desperate. You’ve got nothing to lose so you just let it fly and before you know it, you’re in deeper dutch than you were in before. Such is one of the many premises embedded in one of the best “lost gem...
Director: Erick Zonca
Cast: Tilda Swinton, Saul Rubinek, Kate del Castillo, Aidan Gould
Studio: Magnolia Pictures
Rating: 7.5/10
In the world of bad decisions, I wonder what the percentage is between those that are just plain bad and those that are made because you’re broke, desperate, or drunk (or all three) and the decision seems wise given your state of mind. I mean yeah, we all just plain screw up or make a bad call or pursue an idea that’s just flat out wrong, but the human ability to fuck up big-time quadruples when you’re broke, drunk, and/or desperate. You’ve got nothing to lose so you just let it fly and before you know it, you’re in deeper dutch than you were in before. Such is one of the many premises embedded in one of the best “lost gem...
- 1/11/2010
- by Don R. Lewis
- GordonandtheWhale
The words Tilda Swinton and knockout performance are nearly always within the same sentence these days. Powerful and complex roles, including a career best (and Oscar winning) performance in the excellent Michael Clayton, are coming thick and fast for the Scottish wonder woman. However, the unconventionally beautiful, almost androgynous, actress was hand picked by director Erick Zonda for the role of a down and out self obsessed, alcoholic, one night standing tumbleweed because “She resembles a broken bird..." Watching his third film, the Cassevettes inspired Julia, you begin to realise exactly what he means. The film opens in bar where the lanky red headed Julia prowls and grinds awkwardly around the place, picks a man and wakes up with him in his car. We instantly get the feeling, which is backed up over the films first 20 minutes, that this is par for the course for old Julia and she's shortly...
- 9/1/2009
- by Neil Innes
- t5m.com
Chicago – Tilda Swinton, Oscar winner for “Michael Clayton,” gives the best female performance of the year to date in the riveting, thrilling, excellent “Julia,” now available on DVD and one of the best films of 2009 that you probably haven’t seen. The lack of special features on the Magnolia-produced DVD (and its lack of existence on Blu-Ray) is a bet of a let-down but the film is an underrated gem that should find a loyal audience on the home market.
DVD Rating: 4.0/5.0 Swinton plays the title character, a woman who has turned alcoholism, self-pity, and general confusion into an art form. Julia is the kind of raging drinker who regularly blacks out and wakes up half-dressed in a stranger’s car. She’s one of those women who always blames the world for not giving her a lucky break but doesn’t recognize that her own decisions are tearing her life apart.
DVD Rating: 4.0/5.0 Swinton plays the title character, a woman who has turned alcoholism, self-pity, and general confusion into an art form. Julia is the kind of raging drinker who regularly blacks out and wakes up half-dressed in a stranger’s car. She’s one of those women who always blames the world for not giving her a lucky break but doesn’t recognize that her own decisions are tearing her life apart.
- 8/24/2009
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
We're all for getting out in the summertime, but there might not be anything more refreshing than cooling off in a movie theater... or seeing a movie in the comfort of your air-conditioned home on demand, on DVD, or online... or better yet catching a classic on the big screen at a nearby repertory theater. With literally hundreds of films to choose from this summer, we humbly present this guide to the season's most exciting offerings.
May 1
"Eldorado"
The Cast: Bouli Lanners, Fabrice Adde, Philippe Nahon, Didier Toupy, Franise Chichy
Director: Bouli Lanners
Fest Cred: Cannes, Warsaw, Glasgow, Palm Springs,
The Gist: When Elie (Adde), a hapless young thief attempts to rob Yvan (Lanners), a 40-year-old car dealer, the two form a unlikely friendship that leads to a road trip across Belgium in this slight comedy that won the Best European Film at the Director's Fortnight at Cannes last year.
May 1
"Eldorado"
The Cast: Bouli Lanners, Fabrice Adde, Philippe Nahon, Didier Toupy, Franise Chichy
Director: Bouli Lanners
Fest Cred: Cannes, Warsaw, Glasgow, Palm Springs,
The Gist: When Elie (Adde), a hapless young thief attempts to rob Yvan (Lanners), a 40-year-old car dealer, the two form a unlikely friendship that leads to a road trip across Belgium in this slight comedy that won the Best European Film at the Director's Fortnight at Cannes last year.
- 5/6/2009
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
There are certain roles that scream out for a Tilda Swinton. You imagine the British actress playing characters who are sophisticated and wise, or luminous and otherworldly, which means you'd never have guessed she'd be the right choice to lead French filmmaker Erick Zonca's latest, "Julia." Being brilliant at what she does, however, Swinton indeed transforms into the titular bar floozy, a barely in control alcoholic who bullshits her way through every selfish, reckless moment of her day. Acting on an addled survivor's instinct, Julia stumbles down a convoluted rabbit hole of increasingly horrific events, from an unwise scheme to kidnap a neighbor's eight-year-old son (Aidan Gould) away from his grandfather to an illegal trip into Mexico, where a second kidnapping takes place. It's a distressing but often thrilling film, Swinton's nine-volt performance being the charge that powers the whole thing. Sitting down at the Magnolia offices, Swinton and I talked about self-destructive behavior,...
- 5/6/2009
- by Aaron Hillis
- ifc.com
- Today's nine title announcement for the Berlin Festival’s main competition section (the 58th edition runs between Feb. 7-17.) is an early sign that the 2008 year in film is rich in international film from all corners of the globe and that the upcoming Cannes film festival is going to be loaded once again with heavyweight titles. Out of the titles I'm most looking forward to seeing are the little known Mike Leigh project called Happy-Go-Lucky and Erick Zonca’s French thriller Julia starring Tilda Swinton, and the postponed domestic release of Isabel Coixet’s Elegy. Here is the 9-list:Feuerherz (Heart of Fire) Germany/Austria (adapted from the bestseller by Senait Mehari) by Luigi Falorni (The Story of the Weeping Camel) with Letekidan Micael Julia France by Erick Zonca (The Dreamlife of Angels) with Tilda Swinton, Aidan Gould, Saúl Rubinek Lady Jane France By Robert Guédiguian (Le Promeneur du champ de Mars,
- 1/9/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.