Miss Julie

I had never seen her be this loud, this unabashedly theatrical. But, the character calls for it, and it all somehow works. Farrell doesn't have to go as big, and yet he's the one that comes across as unconvincing. The film only really comes alive when it gives Chastain the space to be as loud as humanly possible. It's not a terrible film, but it just seems like an excuse for such powerhouse acting showcasing, and in that respect it's tremendously glorious to witness Chastain's work. It could've easily gone off the rails with many actresses, but she still manages to surprise me in what she can achieve. Again, it worked for me, but it won't for everyone. Several people will absolutely loathe her (really, any performance of this nature is bound to) but I can honestly say she is probably better here than in Rigby, if only because the material allows it. In that way it's a hard performance to analyze, it's basically "here, watch Chastain ACT!" without really caring if we get the character. But it worked for the 2 hours, mostly.

Huge Collin Farrell fan with his range is beyond comprehension. To stay focused with such emotional scene after another non-stop and maintain character is quite impressive. This is a tough film to sort through but the dialog is magnificent. Tortured class struggle with love, lust and escapism. Alot of divisiveness with these reviews but clearly it is not for your average viewer. Very dense script and moves slowly but there is a payoff. If you have ever had one wild ride with your man or woman, this defines how crazy you become when that animal attraction bites you. I have only had one experience like this and that was plenty for a lifetime! Recommend for the subtle undercurrents of BDM, extremely well-portrayed by Mr. Farrell. Longer than required, Liv did some creative shots but otherwise distracted by dialog. Chastain's character was sumptuously dressed, colors vivid and clairvoyant.

I'd have to agree with a few others- the acting is brilliant (I'd expect nothing else from this bunch) and the idea is there, but the pacing was painfully slow (no, I do NOT prefer action movies over dramas and yes, I LOVE period pieces). Even though it's over two hours long, I didn't feel connected to any character, which I believe is because of how it was filmed, not the actors, because again, they were committed and believable. All in all, not a total waste of time, but I won't be watching it again and will likely forget about it fairly soon.

It's 1890 Ireland. The people are out for the Midsummer Night's Eve celebration. John (Colin Farrell) is a valet at a country estate. He's in love with the cook Kathleen (Samantha Morton). While the Baron is away, his daughter Miss Julie (Jessica Chastain) is the mistress of the manor. She keeps pushing herself onto John despite his relationship with Kathleen.

This is a 19th century Swedish play put on the big screen. It's got three great actors who are bringing their all to this thing, accents aside. While these actors are trying their best, the movie is mostly empty inside. There is nothing more than a play being thrown onto the big screen. The characters don't get much set up. It's hard to get inside the morality of the times. It's hard to feel for these characters. There are things lost in translation in time and space. One can admire the acting but it's hard to care about this movie.

I'm not familiar with the source material, but the movie version of it, will not be everyones cup of tea. It feels like a drag and the pacing is slow to say the least. The characters seem to be stuck at a place where it'll be hard to feel something for them. Having said all that, the acting is superb and if you like your drama to be slow paced, but filled with dialog to make you think about, this could be exactly the one you were looking for.

It never did have the punch or the feeling that it could be something great to me, but that's always in the eye of the beholder and might feel different for people who know more about it (more familiar with source material) than myself. It also feels like it is way too long for its own good. While good, there are things that make this tough to watch ...