A kidnapping goes sideways in this intense, nerve-wracking thriller
Movie
Belgium, France
English, Spanish
Drama
2008
ERICK ZONCA
Aidan Gould, Bruno Bichir, Eugene Byrd
144 min
TLDR
Man, this was quite stressful.
What it's about
After losing everything due to her alcohol addiction, Julia is invited by fellow A.A. member Elena for a plot to kidnap her son from his wealthy grandfather.
The take
Most people are aware that alcoholism doesn’t lead to clear decision-making, but while we’re familiar with the plenty of the usual consequences, such as calling your exes, overspending, and car crashes, it usually doesn’t lead to a kidnapping plot against a multimillionaire. 2008’s Julia takes things to the extreme, with the initial capture escalating into a murder charge, a cross-country escape, and a 2-million ransom bounty, but it feels a bit plausible with the way Tilda Swinton sinks into Julia’s desperation, making bad decision after bad decision with options eventually closing in. While the film might feel a tad too long for some viewers, Julia is nonetheless a compelling thriller, made much more memorable with Swinton’s performance.
What stands out
Tilda Swinton– I cannot stress enough how excellent her performance is.