Annette Benning is gorgeous and a damned-good actress to boot. She deserved an Oscar for her performance in "American Beauty," and perhaps this film is her attempt to garnish one. (Both the screenwriter and director are Academy Award winners.) However, while her performance here is certainly good, she was perfect in "American Beauty."

But enough about Benning and the Academy, "Being Julia" is the story of an aging (relative to the theatric world) actress fretting over the future of her acting career. Unbeknownst to her, she is on the cusp of catharsis. A young lover becomes the catalyst. Shaun Evans plays Tom (T-O-M) with great flair and facial expression.

Detached from reality after having devoted herself entirely to the theatre, she seems also quite detached from her self as well. This serious issue of self swims in the undercurrent of an otherwise somewhat farcical British period piece. One powerful scene brings Julia's acting face -- face to face -- with her frank teenage son. "You're always acting mom, I don't even know who you are." But the seriousness struggles to keep up alongside the crisp humor and subtle absurdity, and a rather mean ending steals from the film a certain beauty it could have so easily set a blossom. Otherwise: cute, clever, well-paced, well acted and well directed.