Jessica Chastain hugs fans, talks corsets at the world premiere of period piece Miss Julie

Jessica Chastain hugs fans, talks corsets at the world premiere of period piece Miss Julie

(Image: Giordano Ciampini)

At Sunday afternoon’s world premiere of Miss Julie, the 1890-set drama by Norwegian writer and director Liv Ullmann, no one could concentrate on anything but costumes—perhaps not totally surprising for the debut of a richly adorned period piece. The film focuses on an upstairs-downstairs affair that unfolds over the course of a single evening between an Irish count’s daughter, played by Jessica Chastain, and his valet, played by Colin Farrell (unfortunately, not present at this year’s TIFF). To be certain, the buttoned-down, laced-up world of late 19th-century Britannia is a particularly charged backdrop against which to explore themes like repression and class structure. But nope, none of that talk here today at the Elgin Theatre. The most common questions: “Jessica, what did you keep from wardrobe?” (The corset.) “Who are you wearing?” (Dior.) “Do you like walking red carpets and getting your picture taken?” (Yes.) Good grief.