In Oslo, Julie, a bright woman in her early thirties, struggles with her life choices. His hesitations in the face of his career find an echo in his sentimental life. In a relationship with Aksel, a man 15 years her senior, she is dissatisfied and turns to Eivind, a man approaching her age.
Posted at 11:30 a.m.
Between drama and comedy, between romanticism and big love quarrels, between choices and hesitations, the feature film Julie (in 12 chapters) by Joachim Trier can be defined as an original and judicious proposal on the right to doubt.
You can be 30 years old and still be wrapped up in your hesitations about life’s choices. And this, without feeling guilty because we do not quite fit into the beacons drawn by Western society.
In other words, if there is one thing that the central character of Julie (Renate Reinsve) does not master when the spectator meets her on screen, it is the art of seizing the day, the so warm and reassuring Carpe Diem which everyone likes to claim.
Numerous, the difficulties that Julie experiences to find her place are especially exposed through her sentimental life. A brilliant and very gifted young woman, Julie is first in a relationship with Aksel (Anders Danielsen Lie), a comic book author 15 years her senior.
Flaws appear in their couple when the family of Aksel and this last begin to insist on the idea that she becomes a mother (one of the strongest passages of film).
Little by little, Julie moves away and turns to Eivind (Herbert Nordrum), a barista with whom she finds a very strong intimate life.
All this is told to us, as its name suggests, in a story with an introduction, twelve thematic chapters of various lengths and a conclusion. The set is camped in the city of Oslo; the director completes with this film an existential trilogy which has the Norwegian capital as a backdrop.
Crossed by some beautiful staging ideas, especially when the imagination of its central character is explored, the film is built around the acting of the actors who are all very fair.
And yet, Julie (in 12 chapters), acclaimed around the world and an Oscar finalist in the categories of best original screenplay and best international film (non-English language), will not remain in our memory for long. As nice as the character of Julie is, the whole work failed to hold our attention. The rhythm seemed heavy to us, the atmospheres painful, Julie’s hesitations heavy.
The surprise of the departure quickly gave way to a weariness, a deep annoyance. The beautiful staging effects failed to hook us. The last two chapters, thankfully, gave a bit more substance to what otherwise felt like a never-ending story. Struggling with a new feeling, loss, Julie gradually finds her way.
Julie (in 12 chapters) is presented in theaters in the original version with French subtitles and in the original version with English subtitles
Drama
Julie (in 12 chapters)
Joachim Trier
With Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, Herbert Nordrum
2:07 a.m.