Julia

Stars: Tilda Swinton, Saul Rubinek, Kate del Castillo, Jude Ciccolella, Kevin Kilner, Aidan Gould, Eugene Byrd

Director: Erick Zonca

Tilda Swinton blows her glacial image apart in this well-shot but protracted drama, as a 40-year-old alcoholic who somehow becomes involved in a crazy plan to kidnap the eight-year-old son (who now lives with his wealthy grandfather) of her Mexican neighbour (del Castillo), desperate to get the kid back.

Swinton ends up in Mexico with the boy, who is improbably then stolen by bandidos who plan to milk his 'mother' - i e Swinton - of a million dollars. How on earth do they know she isn't penniless?

This goes on and on to a poor ending which suggests, heaven forbid, that the story has even longer to run. But enough already: there's only one thing worse than a bad movie and that's a bad movie that runs nearly two and a half hours, with scene after scene going on too long. It seems to get a move on towards the end, but, alas, flatters to deceive.

Let's hope Swinton, whose frazzled performance is the only reason to watch this, has got this kind of role out of her system, and goes back to the cool cookies she does so well.

David Quinlan

USA 2008. UK Distributor: US/France/Mexico/Belgium. Technicolor.
144 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: 15.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 1, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 2.

Review date: 29 Nov 2008