Government Employee Julie Powell (Amy Adams) decides to cook her way through legendary cook Julia Child's (Meryl Streep) classic cookbook, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in one year's time in her small kitchen in Queens, New York. Through her online blog, she gains a loyal following along the way.
by lazyfatcat130
on 27/10/2009 3 of 10 people found this review helpful
What I loved most: Excellent cast
What I really hated: Nil
Julia Child revolutionized the American palate with her introduction of French cooking to post-war homes via her culinary programmes and went on to become a household name and legendary figure in the world of French cuisine and American TV. Julie Powell is a woman on the verge of turning 30, suffering through a mid-life crisis as she vexed over the lack of achievement in her life thus far. Looking to Julia Child for inspiration, she resolves to master French cooking in a year and blogs about her progress, hoping to emulate her idol. Both characters embody such a fervent passion for French cooking that audiences can but helplessly fall in love with the intricate nature of the craft and all credits go to the two superb leads. Meryl Streep delivers a larger-than-life performance as the 6-foot-2 chef, complete with Child's vivacity, indomitable spirit and breezy demeanor. Her portrayal of Child, with her sprite-like falsetto and whirlwind gusto in the kitchen is nothing short of divine. Amy Adams shines as well. Her engaging turn as Julie keeps audiences rapt with wonder as she explores the art of French cooking and crackling with laughter at her numerous foiled attempts in the kitchen. It is a pity that the leads do not share screen time, as had been a tradition for Nora Ephron's films from "Sleepless In Seattle" and "You've Got Mail". It would have been interesting to see these two commendable actresses pit their acting chops against each other. This film is as much a tribute to Julia Child as it is a love affair with French cooking, with close-ups on the various mouth-watering dishes presented spectacularly. The score by Alexandre Desplat is sublime and the Parisian settings are picturesque. The co-stars, Stanley Tucci and Chris Messina, in the role of their spouses, provide sweet and tender intimacy which is truly affecting and deconstructs the notion of institutional marriage. The plot may be slight but the message behind it isn't. The themes on attaining fulfillment and realizing one's true worth are timeless and transcendent. In short, "Julie and Julia" is a rare gem of a gastronomical delight, one which warrants a second helping. Bon appetit!
Based on two true stories, "Julie & Julia" shares its title with Julie Powell's 2002 book about her plan to chop, stir, bake and whip her way through Julia Child's 1961 gastronomical cookbook, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". It is also based on Child's autobiographical volume "My Life in France." The movie intertwines the lives of two women, though separated by time and space, shows viewers that anything is possible with determination and in a way has an underlining message to inspire people to pick up cooking.
Upon arriving in Paris in 1948 with her husband, Paul (Stanley Tucci), Julia (Meryl Streep) is overtaken by the French cuisine in particular and soon picks up the art of French cooking. We follow her from her education alongside unfriendly male competition at the Cordon Bleu school to her friendship with Simone Beck (Linda Emond) and Louisette Bertholle (Helen Carey) - her eventual collaborators on the cookbook that no publisher would initially accept.
Inspired by Julia Child's cookbook, government secretary Julie undertakes a quest for something more to her life by challenging herself to cook all 524 recipes within a year and records them in a blog dubbed "The Julie/Julia Project" bearing the liner "Nobody here but us servantless American cooks..." We see her learn how to bone a duck, make a mouth watering boeuf bourguignon and master the proper technique for poaching an egg. Gradually, her blog gains popularity.
No doubt, the biggest show stealer here is both Julia and Julie's cooking expenditures. The beauty of butter is explored and also some great tips on cooking are shared - best to eat before watching this. Watching Meryl Streep chop, flip and cook was a delightful scene to catch as well as Amy Adam's fear of killing lobsters.
Streep was splendid for her role as the influential American cook with a smile so infectious. She exudes the warmth of the character and ultimately reminds this reviewer oh-so-much of Robin Williams in "Mrs Doubtfire" with a high-pitched tone of voice. The chemistry between her and actor Tucci was inevitable and you can't help but feel the romance within their on-screen marriage. Adams played convincingly as a person who is struggling reach her goal. You'll sympathise and eventually fall in love with her character as Adams does have that lovable aura. Shame both actresses don't get to have on-screen time together.
Constantly switches between the two lives, it was a great concept but due to the length of the runtime, it got too draggy to handle. Thankfully, the ending was as sweet as a lollipop as two ladies found fame and fulfilment.
