Aren’t cooking flicks always fun? Perhaps “Julie and Julia” would be the ideal pièce de résistance to top off the perfect weekend. A dollop of Meryl Streep sprinkled with Amy Adams delivers a hearty dish of comedy.
Writer-director Nora Ephron’s film is based on two bestselling memoirs: Powell’s “Julie & Julia” and “My Life in France,” by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme.
Set in modern day New York and France in the mid-1900s, this very rare clean comedy offers an inspirational lesson by Streep (Donna Sheridan in “Mamma Mia!” and Miranda Priestly in “The Devil Wears Prada”) as Julia Child—a breakthrough from her usual serious roles—and Adams (Giselle in “Enchanted” and Bonnie Bach in “Charlie Wilson’s War”) as Julie Powell.
Julie, working in a cubicle, was listlessly wondering what she was going to do with her life. Half a century before, Julia was going through the same phase. Her blooming interests for food and cooking slowly lead her to a world of friends and possibilities, aided and encouraged by her husband, Paul Child (Stanley Tucci), who was a little shorter than her. As she starts taking lessons at Le Cordon Bleu for something to do, we go back to Julie’s life.
Julie, also married, but to someone whose height was more compatible with hers. She had an interest in food and cooking, but unlike Julia, who was in a new country, knowing nothing of the language and having no cookbooks to guide her, Julie had the copy of the cookbook, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” written by Julia during her time in France.
With a little more inspiration fed by her husband, Eric Powell (Chris Messina), a project was born: to cook the entire contents of ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ in one year. (That would be 524 recipes, no mean feat.)
As the movie progresses, vicissitudes of life get in the way—the usual climax arrives with some yelling, disappointment, and miscommunication.
Julie starts to face public (though virtual) breakdowns, but finds strength in her role model’s resilient and all-embracing character.
Although an overall light and slightly clichéd movie, it is lots of fun for everyone and a little lesson on food and life.
Writer-director Nora Ephron’s film is based on two bestselling memoirs: Powell’s “Julie & Julia” and “My Life in France,” by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme.
Set in modern day New York and France in the mid-1900s, this very rare clean comedy offers an inspirational lesson by Streep (Donna Sheridan in “Mamma Mia!” and Miranda Priestly in “The Devil Wears Prada”) as Julia Child—a breakthrough from her usual serious roles—and Adams (Giselle in “Enchanted” and Bonnie Bach in “Charlie Wilson’s War”) as Julie Powell.
Julie, working in a cubicle, was listlessly wondering what she was going to do with her life. Half a century before, Julia was going through the same phase. Her blooming interests for food and cooking slowly lead her to a world of friends and possibilities, aided and encouraged by her husband, Paul Child (Stanley Tucci), who was a little shorter than her. As she starts taking lessons at Le Cordon Bleu for something to do, we go back to Julie’s life.
Julie, also married, but to someone whose height was more compatible with hers. She had an interest in food and cooking, but unlike Julia, who was in a new country, knowing nothing of the language and having no cookbooks to guide her, Julie had the copy of the cookbook, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” written by Julia during her time in France.
With a little more inspiration fed by her husband, Eric Powell (Chris Messina), a project was born: to cook the entire contents of ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ in one year. (That would be 524 recipes, no mean feat.)
As the movie progresses, vicissitudes of life get in the way—the usual climax arrives with some yelling, disappointment, and miscommunication.
Julie starts to face public (though virtual) breakdowns, but finds strength in her role model’s resilient and all-embracing character.
Although an overall light and slightly clichéd movie, it is lots of fun for everyone and a little lesson on food and life.
