Tilda Swinton’s hypnotic, bravura performance in Erick Zonca’s twisty, lurid and passionately directed indie kidnapping drama Julia is one of the most fearless pieces of acting I’ve come across. She tears into her damaged-goods role with such gusto and force that the film itself seems to be exploding with energy, frustration, and hostility. This is an expressionistic piece of filmmaking, with dreamy cinematography by Yorick Le Saux (Swimming Pool, Clouds of Sils Maria) that’s mixed with rough editing patterns by Philippe Kotlarski, leaving the audience in a jittery state of paranoia and unease. There’s nothing rational about this exceedingly intense film, but that’s sort of the point – Zonca has created a loose-cannon character who never thinks about the consequences of her actions. And when she’s forced to get serious, too many mistakes have been made for her to ever feel normal. Swinton loves playing unlikable characters, and with her titular performance in Julia, she painted a portrait of a sleazy, morally bankrupt woman who thinks nothing of endangering a child, let alone the dangerous. potentially lethal ramifications that come with her skewed sense of logic. This is an edgy, oddly sexy, deeply unique film that further demonstrates how marvelous Swinton is as a performer.
Podcasting Them Softly 