We both use the adjective "delicious" to describe Bening's performance, but we absolutely do not use the adjective "delicious" to describe the popcorn.
Dave: If you stick with this film all the way through, it’s delightful. Annette Bening is deliciously cast as an actress who’s aged and gotten, perhaps, a bit wiser, but can still stage histrionic, emotional outbursts with the best of them. Joe joked partway through that most of her stage direction was simply “laugh dementedly.” Still, she played her part to the hilt, and when she gets her revenge on a younger, rival actress (as well as her own former lover) in an All About Eve-like scenario, we unquestionably root for Bening. That said, the first 3/4 of the film feels sometimes dawdling and meandering, despite the slowly building tension and eye candy throughout. The score, with its period music and the soaring orchestral themes, also stood out as a lovely addition. (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2)
I’d have believed it if Joe told me that this was sand-flavored popcorn. Despite apparently having seasoning (and butter!?) in it, it tasted chronically bland. The addition of Chow Mein Noodles, a somewhat guilty pleasure of mine from 1990s stir fry recipes, didn’t help, since they don’t lend any flavor, and popcorn doesn’t particularly need any more crunch. I really have no idea where the flavor went, but wherever it was, it wasn’t in my mouth. (️️⭐️⭐️)
Joe: It's kinda batshit that Annette Bening has won zero Oscars. She's due for one in the same way that Glenn Close is due for one. Being Julia played mightily to Bening's strengths. Hers is a role that relies entirely on the tightrope walk between delusional and authentic, manipulative and deeply humane. The success of the film depends on her entirely. The pacing issues that plague Being Julia in the beginning slowly give way as Bening loses grip on her control - and once that control is lost, the fun begins. The final twenty minutes of the movie are an absolute blast. Julia might not be deserving of the upper hand, but it's so very delicious when she gets it. So very, very delicious. (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Though I certainly had my doubts, our friend "Kirk Castle" had been on quite a roll with his recipes. Did you notice the tense of that verb? Good. The "fire grilled" popcorn we had a couple weeks ago was neither fire-y nor grill-y, and this popcorn, problematic name and all, doesn't deliver in similar fashion. For one thing, there's too little of the stir fry seasoning in the butter, so there are only occasional hits of flavor. There's very little salt, too, so the popcorn just tasted a bit dusty and flavorless. The best part was the chow mein noodles, which is the best part of any dish with chow mein noodles. (⭐️⭐️)
Popcorn recipe from: 100 Popcorn Recipes by "Kirk Castle"
Being Julia on IMDB.
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