Swaying to and fro in drunken ecstasy, Tilda Swinton’s alcoholic Julia performs a hypnotic dance of destruction from the moment she careens into frame. After aimless one-night stands, fruitless AA meetings, and crushing unemployment, Julia ultimately agrees to help her unstable neighbor, Elena (Kate del Castillo), kidnap her son, Tom (Aidan Gould), from his wealthy grandfather for a hefty ransom. Director Erick Zonca pays homage to John Cassavetes, Gloria (1980), in this tale of kidnapping gone awry that sees Julia strike up a symbiotic companionship with her young captive. However, suddenly the tables turn in Mexico when extorters capture Tom, sending Julia scrambling to his rescue. In this candid tour de force, Swinton’s chameleonic qualities are uncanny and her wide, alabaster face makes for an incredible canvas to run the emotional gamut from Machiavellian to maternal. Behold Julia, goddess of destruction, who unwittingly pulls off the biggest con of her life – convincing the thieves that she’s Tom’s mother — which comes as a surprise to no one more than herself. (Liesl Swanbeck)
Opens at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas on Friday, July 10th
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