I have been looking for this film for a long time. One is Maugham's original work, and the other is that it is a story about a woman who overcomes weakness and sweeps away her rivals to regain her charm on the stage. This theme attracts me. Finally found it after so many years. The protagonists in it are all acquaintances, Annette Bening, Jeremy Irons, and the role of Inspector Morse. In 2004, he was as young as fresh cream.
The novel I read before watching the movie, I don’t know if it’s because of the translation, the novel doesn’t read as smoothly as some of Maugham’s other works, and the male and female characters don’t make me feel attractive and moving. The heroine, Julia, is a well-known stage actress in her late 50s who is hailed as a genius. When he was young, he was attracted by her husband's looks and became madly infatuated with her. She has always complimented him as the most beautiful man in Britain. He loves drama but has little talent and a rigid personality. To keep in shape, he insists on getting up early and running every day. Julia is enthusiastic, energetic and scheming. She tries her best to play the character he likes, so that he likes her and proposes to her. But not long after she got married, she got tired of him, lost interest in him, and even found reasons to shirk the husband and wife sharing the same bed. It is written in the novel that she had an affair, on the train with a Spaniard who gave her a private room. She did not refuse. Is a famous actress such a good gun? But on the other hand, she has followed the rules for many years, and her love and loyalty to her husband has been praised. After her husband's appearance lost her spell-like control over her, she found that he was not compatible with her personality, his words were boring, his life was stingy and rigid, and most importantly, he lacked talent in acting, which made it difficult for her to have a feeling of admiration. Love has slackened before color fades.
When Xiao Xianrou appeared in her life, she was almost 50 years old, her career had reached a stable height, and her mind and body were in a state of emptiness. And this guy in his early twenties. He rushed in hastily, with unrelenting enthusiasm, he gave her flowers, asked her to drink tea, shyly recounted his admiration for her when he was young, and he boldly kissed her. His youthful enthusiasm smelled like grass and the fresh body fascinated her, she was helpless, addicted to the sea of lust, and unable to extricate herself, she was like a rejuvenator, and everyone around her said she was young ten years old. She happily enjoys her youthful body, and she happily buys expensive gifts for her young lover, takes him to celebrity parties, satisfies his vanity, lends him money voluntarily, and convinces him that she is helping others for her own satisfaction pleasure needs. She was so dizzy with love that she didn't look at all like a well-known actress with a lot of battle experience, reserved and noble. Where does this love come from? ? She has never lacked admirers around her. She and her husband have respected each other for more than 20 years. In the final analysis, it is because of the youth of the other party. She has money, fame and status, but only youth will never return. Therefore, she must firmly grasp the burning unique to youth. The irony is that the real young people in the book are sober-headed and focused on planning their future, or they are very clear-headed that lust is lust, and will never indulge in it, and will never delay their own pleasure-seeking. He would love too, but with blondes of a similar age. Julia's son is only 17 years old, and he feels that love is tasteless and life is false.
However, in the end, the heroine was still awake, but it was actually the stage that woke her up. Because of the neglect of her young lover, she couldn't sleep at night in pain. She placed all her sadness, pain, loss and despair on the role, and this real truth became false on the stage. Her husband felt that her acting was too bad and asked her to take a break from the stage to go on vacation.
A vacation away from her little lover and relatives and friends finally freed her from the control of her lust and regained her freedom. This passion also enriched her life experience and became the nourishment for her on stage. Julia really became the queen on the stage. She used her own experience, unparalleled acting skills and style to crush her little lover's beloved female companion. In the novel, the little lover was once again conquered by her, but she was contemptuous. He told the maid not to answer his phone again.
At the end of the film, Julia escapes from the celebration feast for her and goes to the restaurant alone, enjoying her favorite beer and fried potatoes, which are usually given up for dieting. This night, she wants to treat herself. With a confident smile on her face, nothing can destroy her, make her lose herself, sleepless nights, and be at a loss for what to do. There were lingering love songs playing in the hotel, but her eyes did not have any recollection and confusion, she was firm and confident, and her spirits were high.
If there is such an affair in the future, I am afraid that she will never lose control again. It is estimated that it will be difficult for her to have a similar passion. She has overcome the so-called mid-life crisis, recognized her own destiny, and will no longer be empty. She Her stage attainments have taken her to a higher level. She was originally a highly acclaimed talented actress, and now she is about to become an immortal, the one and only queen of stage plays. This kind of pleasure and joy is enough to overcome the empty and boring ordinary life and fill her emotional emptiness and loss. She has become an invulnerable Julia!
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