Officially retired?

Knowing julie, i dont think so. i dont think thah she is totally retired. i think that she is in the same status that the last years, taking the things very easy, and waiting for a work or a role that she thinks its worthy for work on it again.

I hope you are right, doom, as someone who relishes each performance of hers. I suppose she may be just waiting for something worthwhile to do - in the current state of cinema, that could be mission impossible!

I've been wondering the same thing lately. Could it be possible that we will never again see that amazing face on the screen? She had worked pretty consistently ever since Away From Her, albeit in small roles in movies that weren't all that great. Still, there's been something almost every year. But lately nothing. And I'm not so sure it's because of the lack of offers. For example, Charlotte Rampling, her contemporary, is garnering raves (and talk of a possible Oscar nomination)for her performance in 45 Years opposite Tom Courtenay. Lest we forget, Mr. Courtenay was Ms. Christie's co-star in two classics from their youth, Billy Liar and Doctor Zhivago. How wonderful it would have been to see these two together again after 50 years! I have a strong sense that Julie might have been offered Ms. Rampling's role first and turned it down. Of course we'll probably never know. I am in no way denigrating Charlotte Rampling's talent, but I always saw her as the moon to Julie's sun; a beautiful,if chilly, reflection of the latter's radiance. By the way, there's a recent photo of Julie in an issue of Hola magazine (the Spanish version of Hello). She's returning from doing her laundry, and was apparently caught unawares. She doesn't look happy, but that face still gives one pause. I know there have been long gaps in her resume, years when she was virtually invisible. Somehow, though, this seems different. Man, I hope I'm wrong!

Oh I hope the feeling is wrong too! But, while I can relate to what Doom says, I must definitely agree with Fanatic, since Julie has been so elusive and not very fortunate either I don't think in recent years. There was a moment just right after Afterglow in 1997/1998 she looked still amazing and somewhat leading lady material still ! Yet, there seemed to be a few great projects back then,she had apparently agreed upon, but for weird reasons never happened. And, after making a few questionable choices (let's not forget she took on major roles in very unsuccessful and bizarre productions such as Belphegor in 2000, and worse, I am with Lucy in 2001, No Such Thing, that despite its excellent pedigree and having her acquainted to Sarah Polley, was not a good movie at the end, and, while Snapshots wasn't all terrible, offered a lead opposite Burt Reynolds, also looking for good parts, but, at the end, it turned out to be certainly not even close to her league! But, at least, she looked amazing still, and definitely eager to work with class and dignity! And, in fact, as things don't happen by chance, she started to get much more fortunate, playing the great antagonist in such a little gem such as Finding Neverland with a prime Hollywood cast and truly that proved worthy of her talent and looks, presenting her in yet a new interesting turn. It was also a very successful movie, as she at least had been so rightly treated as Hollywood's royalty in Troy and appearing as Madame Rosemerta in the best of the Harry Potter's installments (however her cameo should and could have been a little more developed by Warner Bros and especially by a director such as Alfonso Cuaron, whose sensibility is notorious and yet did not give her the right focus, in some ways that almost had angered me!). And, in fact, at the end of all this journey, we finally got the excellent and memorable "Away From Her" . She should have won the Oscar I believe, but, it doesn't even matter, cause she won all other Awards, and, publicity was finally huge again all around her name and her strength to bring such light and power to even a small if great first director's feature: in fact Away From Her was a huge monetary return at the end of its International run, winning accolades everywhere! At, that point, again, one would have hoped for the best, especially, after seeing her name immediately announced in a stellar cast for one of the best segments of I love New York. While other extremely interesting project were still on the works granting her as the lead . But, Hello Darkness misteriously disappeared from the radars while its directors went on to direct Julianne Moore in a very similar story to the one of Away From Her, and, her name triumphantly added to the hit the "Marigold" suddenly dropped out gaining even more misteriously disappointing momentum. And, while accepting a role in a disappointing effort such as Glorious 39, she then took on Red Hiding Hood, which at least gave her visibility, and, at least for me, the chance to play a very good part, even though, yet in a movie that many have considered an embarrassment! And, thank God, Redford was able to convince to play Mimi, in The Company You Keep, the most pivotal role of a project I was hoping to be memorable and that certainly was suiting her so well, yet at the end, the movie was not the success I had hoped it would have been. And anyways Redford was a gentleman with the press revealing to everybody how much he had to insist in order to have her in ! And, why then it was so easy to get her to do stuff like Belphegor, I am with Lucy or Red Riding Hood? A little bit of a dilemma, here! I honesty don't even know what to say about such choices, and, considering I may be one of her most faithful fans,and long lasting admirers, and always tried to get all scoops by Hollywood reliable insiders! I can only say that today I am afraid Movies have changed too much to help even a golden icon such as Julie! Nobody can let it be such as she does without repercussions . I am referring to the last comment over Charlotte Rampling's sublime turn in 45 Years that is gaining Awards momentum! Of course, Julie Christie should have came to mind immediately for a project that cast Tom Courtney who was her legendary partner in Billy Liar and one of her co stars in Zhivago! But, while Rampling is constantly active, both with press and acting, going to classy public events and meeting always with new producers, and, directors, making 3 pictures a year, Julie as usual hides out and gives Redford a hard time if he wants to cast her in a role that thank God, at least, ended up going to her, since it was meant to be hers! But, honestly, how many others? Not a lot , unfortunately, since movies are today what they are, always more and more uninteresting and derivative, but certainly a few great parts that always go instead to Helen Mirren or Diane Keaton or Meryl Streep, all great fantastic stars, that do not have however the same Julie Christie's poetic ,noble, and natural star power! That same allure capable to give to a movie not only a great performance, but just pure plain magic! But, today nobody seems to care unfortunately, and so even someone like Julie has probably to put herself in God's hands, when, and, if offered a good role, again, especially if she is just reluctant to any socializing with the new face of this business that changes now truly every decade! Probably, considering the size and unique glory of her own career, she has stopped caring a while ago, observing how fortunate she can call herself even next to top names who last very little in the stellar mainstream these days, and, possibly because she had enough of working in projects whose quality is virtually uncontrollable and at times very unkind or quickly forgettable ! So, I believe sadly that lately she has truly stopped caring to just live her life without way too many disappointments or head aches! However since I want to keep a positive thought and believe that in the world of the arts everything is possible when the true grace really calls, perhaps Julie Christie will appear again in all of her radiant splendor surprising once more every one while gracing a movie of untimely glamour and nostalgic silver screen's true appeal !

If she never makes another film, she will have given us an amazing legacy, a small, yet indelible gallery of movie roles. Yes, we will always have Diana Scott in Darling, Lara in Doctor Zhivago, Petulia, Bathsheba, Mrs. Miller, Marian Maudsley, Laura Baxter,Jackie in Shampoo. Not to mention her character in Demon Seed (a regrettable film, but her participation elevated it into something quite special). And then, years later, Phyllis in Afterglow (in my humble opinion her greatest, most nuanced performance), Gertrude in Hamlet and Fiona in Away From Her. Even her small role in her last film, The Company You Keep, was the most electrifying thing about it. We've had the opportunity to watch her age with grace and dignity,her beauty intact (ok, maybe a little surgery once, but nothing like some of her contemporaries with their masklike visages and frozen smiles). She is the Greta Garbo of her generation, the anti-star, the ageless beauty who always doubted that beauty and was all the more beautiful for it.