Movie Review: Goodbye Julia
Screened at El Gouna Film Festival 2023
One-liner: What this compelling, layered and taut social drama turned character portrait lacks in character, connection and nuance, it makes up for with conviction and heft.
Goodbye Julia is a coming-of-age drama set in the city of Khartoum in Sudan against the backdrop of separatist conflict, based on a true story. Mohamed Kordofani’s film centres on a precarious relationship between two women, after Mona accidentally knocks over Julia’s child in a hit and run. Chased by Julia’s husband, the accident results in tragedy. Mona’s guilt prompts her to take action, eventually employing Julia as her maid in an attempt to make amends and care for her family after the find themselves homeless and almost hopeless.
This is an important story, which tackles racism head on with a narrative that forces two women from different walks of life into the intimate dynamic of housewife and maid. While the domestic situation is at the forefront of this story about overcoming prejudice and seeking forgiveness, the overarching context of a Northerner versus Southerner alercation creates a heated and tense atmosphere. Goodbye Julia has many layers in terms of its socio-political conscience, aiming to revisit this time in 2010 in order to address a spectrum of racism and otherness.
From its opening riot to equally tense moments where violence threatens to snap, Goodbye Julia manages to harness slow-boiling suspense as everything from a hidden item to dark secrets swirl the pot. Managing to lace the drama with an old flame, murder, gender politics, marital strife, racism, riots, political rallies, musical aspirations and working conditions, there’s no shortage of subplots at play. Flowing quite seamlessly from one scene to the next, all of these story ideas manage to co-exist as the household finds its new rhythm.
“You’ve taught me more about myself than I’d like to admit.”
Through Kordofani’s surefooted direction Goodbye Julia makes good strides, keeping a steady pace and weaving its story as dramatic tension rises. There are moments that could have used a bit more thought and others worthy of leveraging more suspense, but the drama and social commentary unfolds with insight and understanding. Using secrets between the characters to create a degree of social tension, the film maintains a taut feel as it builds until everything is gradually revealed. Calling these twists and turns seems a bit disrespectful given the gravity of the subject matter but these deft revelations are certainly appreciated.
The title may be Goodbye Julia but it’s Eiman Yousif who serves as the film’s lead in Mona. Shaken by the accident, this catalyst incident compels her on a self-reflective journey, forced to confront strongholds in her life. Julia is carried with grace by Siran Riak in a supporting performance that comes across as underplayed against the tense backdrop. There to ratchet things up is Nazar Goma in a textured turn as Akram who enforces a staunch and outdated perspective.
While Goodbye Julia does so much right, its plagued by a fundamental issue that seeps into every scene. This has got to do with the positioning of actor and character. Unfortunately, the drama seems to take place in a vacuum finding the limits of its thin charactersisation. An action-driven drama, it becomes more about the situational dynamics rather than the characters. Not quite as rooted in their inner worlds as you’d hope for an issues film of this significance, it diminishes the impact value. Not having enough points of identification, it’s watched at a safe distance and delivered as if the actors haven’t found a commonality with their characters. To complicate matters even further, the sparse soundtrack may offer some realism but accentuates this empty feeling.
Mona and Akram’s marital portrait works thanks to the actors who have palpable chemistry in their dysfunctional relationship. The focus on this domestic stand-off is offset in trying to resolve Julia’s story as the women have their influence on one another. Race, religion, class… Goodbye Julia interweaves these themes quite masterfully without feeling preachy. Operating from this bird’s eye view, it’s easier to understand why the nuance of the characters is somewhat lost. Strangely insular for such a heartwrenching story, Goodbye Julia remains compelling and thought-provoking.
The bottom line: Deft