As a Sylvia Kristel fan, I waited years to view this obscure West German film, as the title is quite rare. But wow, was it worth the wait! This was worlds better than what I was expecting. An erotic film, that attempts the difficult mix of humor and romance...and succeeds on both counts. The story centers on the handsome young student Paulie, on holiday in the gorgeous Swiss Alps, and on a mission to leave his innocence behind, and to become a man. Surrounded by decadent, beautiful older women, but the lovely Andrea (Sylvia Kristel) is the girl that truly captures his heart. Betrayed by a close friend, and later by his own self indulgent prick of a father, Paulie becomes more confused and angry about his situation.
"Julia," titled after the character Juliet, of Shakespeare fame, covers all the bases of coming of age drama; betrayal, sexual frustration, loss of innocence, and both the joy, and sadness that can come from the first sexual experience. Nice surreal touches are included here as well, especially when it focuses on this kid's off-the-wall, wacko family! My side hurt from laughing so much at the absurd situations and predicaments these people find themselves in.
I have to say, I absolutely love this film, the story, the characters/the gorgeous cast, the pretty cinematography and the wonderful artistic touches etc, and especially the bizarre comedic elements which made this a fun experience. There are some powerful emotional scenes too, that I was not expecting, such as the "love" scene filmed inside the Colosseum in Rome! That was heartbreaking, and awful..a betrayal that nobody should ever have to endure. I'm happy to find this gem, and look forward to showing it to friends. Highly recommended..
