Julia has been away for a while, which is bad in terms of box office. She will never be again the big queen she used to be. The mysterious magic has worn off. Besides, she was highly over-rated in the first place. Can you name one great Julia Roberts movie? That´s the main problem with most movie-stars. Lots of movies, lots of coin, but no endurance except maybe for sentimental reasons.

I'm glad stars aren't big box office draws anymore. It requires actors to make better choices for their movies, as opposed to merely the ones that'll get them $20 million paychecks. Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet have consistently picked good movies for the past while. Even if they never pulled in the kind of dollars Julia Roberts pulled, they're still going strong while Julia Roberts will never regain her former glory.

As I stated in the "next big female star" conversation, Julia Roberts has never been 'THE' draw to me. She is a fine actress who with solid material can be great but this movie looks like any other romantic comedy + spies. That’s not a bad thing if that’s your bag. Just not for me. I'd prefer her taking stronger characters with decision that don’t hinge on a Cinderella-ish happy ending. In Closer she was dynamite, and that type of character who made decisions that wouldn’t/couldn’t/shouldn’t lead to a happy ending is simply more interesting to watch.

@Helgi: I'm not a particular fan but I can name lots of Julia Roberts movies. This is not a memory test. That people CAN'T name a film and still know that she is a big movie star says more about her anyway.

You know what I hate, Brad? I hate that making movies has become a competitive sport. I think that's why I liked Mickey Rourke's return, because it just so perfectly proved that this is a creative endeavor and not a "who's winning" thing.

Patricia, I can NAME a few Julia Roberts movies, that´s not the difficult part; it is finding great movies starring Julia Roberts that´s mission impossible. She is famous because she is likable, she starred mostly in cute movies (Pretty Woman and such lame stuff). There is basically no edge to her films. There certainly is an edge to Mickey Rourke and his whole life. I absolutely hate these socalled stars who bring nothing to the table but big smiles and that don´t-you-miss-me look when they´re only thinking about their paycheck. To me Meryl Streep is the biggest female star of the last 15 years.

@Helgi: This is a hoot. I've been writing about Julia Roberts in two different threads, even though I'm not a fan. Steel Magnolias was a shallow little tear jerker, Pretty Woman made prostitution seem cool, and Erin Brockovich was a shrill over wrought feel-good piece. Fill in the blanks on the rest of her many, many films. But this isn't about my opinion because I've never been a part of her fan base, even though I've occasionally enjoyed her work. I liked her work in Stepmom although it was another tear jerker. I personally think she's over rated. But the question here is can she activate her base again? I think she's peaked. But I wish she'd come back and take some risks, stretch herself. Why? Because I like the art of filmmaking and wish everyone involved would do likewise.