Julie & Julia
The most likely reasons you want to see this movie: you love good food, you worship Julia Child, you heard Meryl Streep was in it.
The most likely reason you don’t want to see this movie: you heard Nora Ephron wrote and directed it.
Here’s the good news – the reasons to go deliver in a big way, and the reason not to go isn’t a problem! In fact, the film Julie & Julia has little in common with Ephron’s other treacly work like Sleepless in Seattle or You’ve Got Mail. Instead we get a charming portrait of a remarkable woman, and a prime example of how she has influenced the way we cook.
Photo courtesy Columbia Pictures
I would say that Meryl Streep is a revelation, but are you really surprised? There is clearly nothing this woman can’t do. Even as a much shorter woman with no real accent, Streep completely embodies Julia Child. She has down the voice, the mannerisms, the peculiar way she had of looking off to the side and behind her. Every time she’s on screen, you can’t help but smile and laugh, as we see the true joie de vivre that Julia had in life. Could it be yet another Oscar nomination? Listen to me now – it’s very, very possible. At her side is the delightful (and sexy) Stanley Tucci portraying the passionate love of her life – Paul.
Photo courtesy Columbia Pictures
The other focus on the movie is Julie Powell, a young government bureaucrat who escapes the drudgery of her life by cooking her way through Julia’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She starts a blog about the experience, and we witness the ups and downs of her life – can cooking save her soul? Save her marriage? Although the character comes off as remarkably self-absorbed and whiny, it’s handled with such gentle hands by Amy Adams, that it works. Adams has the ability to make us love her no matter who she’s playing, and that’s a real gift. Her husband Eric is played by the adorable Chris Messina.
Overall I think the movie is just a joy – if you’re not starving by the end of it, open your eyes! It’s a feast for the senses, and makes one long for the return of Smell-O-Vision. The writing is well-done and stays faithful to the books that spawned the movie. But I am taking off a few points for some times the movie dragged, which tended to happen any time we focused on Julie’s character too much. I think Ephron could have shaved off 15 minutes from the movie and it would have been perfect. My grade – an A-.
It truly is a wonderful movie. It still is an Ephron rom-com, but this time the romance and inspiration is passion of life, food and love. Yeah!
LOVE!!! You’re so right, the potential Nora Ephron minus factor didn’t really matter at all. (Did she write that terrible movie where Meg Ryan, Diane Keaton, and Lisa Kudrow were all sisters? Cuz if she did, this gem of a movie *barely* redeems her for that.)
Meryl Streep is divine. Every moment she was on screen I smiled. Her Julia was an inspiration, and now I’m super-excited to read MY LIFE IN FRANCE to get to know the real Julia even better. And I giggled in delight with the surprise cameo by favorite Jane Lynch.
And I liked the Julie-Eric sections too, mostly because as you say the actors carry it off. I loved the book, even though Julie was self-absorbed and at times obnoxious… I think that’s part of all that she had to work through, and Amy A. conveys it well. (Though poor Amy had to suffer that haircut!)
Mom and I thoroughly enjoyed this, as did the little old man sitting by himself next to us. He was literally knee-slapping laughing throughout, and at the end he leaned over to me and said “Now that was a good movie!”
A delightful and charming film, wonderfully acted and written. I really liked the way Julie and Julia’s stories were interwoven, how they both “found themselves” through their love of food, and the love and support both had from their husbands!!
Stef – she did indeed write that movie (Hanging Up). So penance was due.
Matt – thanks for the comment, and welcome to my blog!
The Slate Cultural Gabfest gave this a glowing review, and they described the structure really well. They said with the 2 narratives interwoven, it became the story of a teacher and her student. Cool.
I’m late to the party here but I LOVED the movie! I loved diving into Julia’s world and didn’t mind the parts with Amy Adams (though I’m not quite sure if it’s Nora Ephron or if Amy was just channeling Meg Ryan for half of it from YOU’VE GOT MAIL).
The only thing that did NOT sit well with me was Julie’s boss telling her: “You’re lucky I’m a democrat and not a republican – a republican would have fired you.” After 9/11 in NYC, I just don’t think that would be the boss’s response – half the people running the city and the world at that time were Republicans and, God bless ‘em, even though I didn’t agree with them all of the time, they were just doing the best they could. It just irked me.
Otherwise, the movie was top notch. I’m glad I went grocery shopping this week b/c I will be using my kitchen!