Annette Benning (with Brit accent) is Julia, the darling of the London stage.

Her marriage to impresario Jeremy Irons is stale, so she seeks excitement in the arms – and bed – of a young American fan.

The spark soon fades when Julia finds herself taking a back seat to a younger, up-and-coming actress. But Julia refuses to take this kind of treatment lightly and plots an elaborate revenge.

Adapted from W. Somerset Maugham's Theatre, by Oscar-winner Ronald Harwood (The Pianist), this is a film for luvvies everywhere, treating mere "civilians" like another species.

To be honest, it's a little difficult to see who the film is directly aimed at, as it fails to be broad enough to appeal to a mainstream audience.

Annette Bening is ok in the lead and is being touted for Oscar glory, while Jeremy Irons is relegated to a thankless husband role.

Julia is the kind of film that appeals to the academy – theatrical, larger than life and an accent. A disability would've nailed it.

Unfortunately the film only really comes together in the final scenes, when Julia goes all out for revenge against the younger actress.

For me, it was the only time the film really came alive.

Adrian Zak