Chicago Tribune by Michael Wilmington

Bening shines, and the film shines too.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer by William Arnold

The supporting performers all shine, especially Irons in the thankless role of the clueless cuckold husband.

Los Angeles Times by Kevin Thomas

The filmmakers have brought such breadth and depth to the material. Everyone counts in this film, not just Julia Lambert.

Dallas Observer by Bill Gallo

Maugham's signature wit and tragic colorations are well served by director Istvan Szabo (Mephisto) and screenwriter Ronald Harwood (The Dresser).

Washington Post by Desson Thomson

Bening makes the movie into something finer still.

Chicago Reader by Meredith Brody

Witty, satisfying, and a terrific showcase for the radiant Bening.

Christian Science Monitor by David Sterritt

Part of the movie's fascination is watching Ms. Bening play a role that tantalizingly mirrors her own position in today's movie world - and she does it with wit, sparkle, and all-out energy.

Entertainment Weekly by Owen Gleiberman

Being Julia flirts too heavily with soap opera clichés, but it has enough surprises to keep you guessing, and for Annette Bening it's the liveliest of comebacks.

New York Post by Megan Lehmann

A pleasantly diverting period romp that Annette Bening turns into a wickedly funny tour de force.

Boston Globe by Ty Burr

You can feel her (Bening) drag Being Julia uphill for an hour and a half until the final 15 minutes, when the ground finally levels out and the picture becomes fine, vengeful fun.

ReelViews by James Berardinelli

Because I so enjoyed the last 45 minutes, I'm tempted to recommend it. The problem is that you have to sit through an hour to get to the worthwhile parts.

The New York Times by Dana Stevens

Being Julia may not make much psychological or dramatic sense, but Ms. Bening, pretending to be Julia (who is always pretending to be herself), is sensational.

L.A. Weekly

But for all Bening’s high emoting and her trademark giggle, here overused to the point of annoyance, for most of its length Being Julia offers little insight into a woman whose life is ruled by theatrics.

Variety by Todd McCarthy

A minor affair, a confection based on dalliances and the way a set of sophisticated theater people handle them, that lacks true distinction.

New York Magazine (Vulture) by Peter Rainer

Suggests a cross between "Sunset Boulevard" and "All About Eve." The suggestion, alas, doesn't go very far, but Bening's performance approaches the pantheon.

Village Voice by Leslie Camhi

Bening's comic gifts make the most of Ronald Harwood's witty screenplay, though she falls flat in her character's rare moments of sincerity.

The A.V. Club by Keith Phipps

It looks handsome but seems infected by the idea of playing different roles; a comedy in one scene, it adopts a mood of a high seriousness the next and clutters the stage with minor characters that contribute little. In the end, this inability to make up its mind does the film in.

Rolling Stone by Peter Travers

Hungarian director Istvan Szabo (Sunshine) overplays his hand and traps Bening in a role that's all emoting, no emotion.