Watch Miss Julie

Miss Julie is a 2014 romantic drama film that explores the dynamics of class and power in the late 19th century. The movie is based on a 1888 play by August Strindberg, which is set in Sweden. The film is directed by Liv Ullmann and explores a night in the life of Miss Julie (Jessica Chastain), the daughter of a count who is feeling lost and aimless. She has come to her father's estate to celebrate Midsummer's Eve. Miss Julie is a woman who is desperately searching for something to give her life a sense of purpose. She wants to break free from the constraints of her social status and live a life that is true to her.

On Midsummer's Eve, Miss Julie meets a valet named Jean (Colin Farrell), who is serving her family. They begin to converse, and their conversations soon expose their respective desires and struggles. The two find themselves drawn to each other despite their different social statuses, and they embark on a night of passionate conversation and intimacy.

However, their connection is thrown into turmoil when Kristin (Samantha Morton), another of the household's servants and Jean's fiancée, enters the picture. Kristin has the opposite outlooks and abandoned dreams of Miss Julie, and she doesn't want Jean to get any involved with Miss Julie. Kristin serves as a grounding factor for both Jean and Miss Julie, as she reminds them of the boundaries that social class dictates.

Throughout the film, the audience is presented with complex character studies of each protagonist. Jean's initial contempt and resentment towards Miss Julie dissipates into infatuation, a fact that ultimately threatens his future marriage to Kristin. Miss Julie is portrayed as someone who is grappling with her internal conflicts, desires, and anguish. She's acutely aware of the constrictions placed upon people of her status and is disillusioned about the idea of love and connection.

The film itself is visually stunning, with every frame capturing the colors and textures of the era's wealthy Swedish society. The intricate set design and costumes' attention to detail bring the era to life on screen. The film's score adds to the dramatic tension as it contrasts the lighthearted festivities of Midsummer's Eve with the increasing tension that permeates throughout the course of the evening.

The performances in the film are top-notch, as Jessica Chastain delivers a tour de force performance as Miss Julie. She delivers a convincing portrayal of the inner turmoil that consumes her character. Her performance is beautifully complemented by Colin Farrell, who brings an intense emotional depth to the pragmatic and cunning Jean, whilst Samantha Morton's Kristin brings realism and subtlety to the proceedings.

Overall, Miss Julie, is a compelling and nuanced portrayal of the timeless themes of love, ambition, and self-realization. The story's complexities are presented in a way that is both relatable and thoroughly modern, ensuring that it will resonate with audiences long after the film's final credits roll. Ullmann has managed to deliver a film that is at once visually stunning, emotionally resonant, and thematically relevant; it's an excellent adaptation of a classic play that will cement its place in the pantheon of cinematic greats.

Miss Julie is a 2014 drama with a runtime of 2 hours and 11 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.5 and a MetaScore of 56.