There are some films which seem like filmed theatre and there are some films which should have been plays. This is one in particular - it deals with theatre, has a dynamic star role for a woman, who often imagines her old mentor giving advice - a device which works better on stage than on screen. It also would have been more fun to watch this live, I think- to see the actors having a ball.
Annette Bening was admired for her performance but surely she could have had more fun - I kept thinking it needed someone a bit bigger, more Bette Davis (Bening is a bit too sensible at heart). And it's a bit bigoted - for some reason its OK for Julia to get a toy boy (Shaun Evans) but not OK for that toy boy to go out with a girl his own age (Lucy Punch).
And that girl is punished -though exactly how I'm not clear: she's sort of shown to be this bad actor but they like her in the audition then Bening sabotages her on opening night and the audience loves it? I'm confused.
Also, has there ever been a case in theatre history where a star has ad libbed the play, making major changes and made a hit of it? And wouldn't Julia, who has spent years in the theatre, already know her best friend (Bruce Greenwood) was gay?
In line with many stories of slightly gay sensibility, the lead female is camp, and there is a beautiful boy(Bening's son) who acts as a sort of font of wisdom.
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