“Julie & Julia” Review
Amy Adams stars as Julie Powell, a Queens based writer who reignites her passions by cooking in “Julie & Julia.” The film is partially based off of her memoir of the same name as well as Julia Child’s autobiography “My Life in France.”
The recent passing of Julie Powell has left a big hole in Long Island City, the neighborhood where I work in Queens. Not only did she live there with her husband Eric, establish herself as a marvelous writer and befriend many people who I know on a first name basis, but she also committed herself to a challenge that would lead to many wonderful things including a successful blog, memoir and film. That challenge was to cook her way through Julia Child’s “Mastering The Art of French Cooking” in one year and the film it inspired was “Julie & Julia,” a favorite in the Otto household.
In “Julie & Julia,” Julie Powell (Amy Adams) is an employee at the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation in 2002 and is approaching her thirtieth birthday completely dissatisfied with where her career as a writer is going. The only things she actually enjoys are her relationship with her husband Eric (Chris Messina) and cooking. Wanting to revive her interest in writing, Julie starts a blog where she writes about cooking her way through Julia Child’s famed cookbook over the course of one year.
And that’s just half of the story. The other half concerns Julia Child (Meryl Streep) as she and her husband Paul (Stanley Tucci) move to Paris after WWII. After discovering a love of French cuisine and learning how to cook, Julia decides to bring French cooking to American households by co-writing a massive cookbook which is easier said than done. As both women undertake their culinary odysseys, we see their lives become more intertwined as both Julie and Julia’s passions are reignited.
“Julie and Julia” is one of those films that’s always going to have a special place in my heart. The film was released when I was nine years old and it was actually the first adult-oriented film that I remember my parents letting me watch. Until that point, I was mainly watching family films but this was the first film where I felt that I wasn’t the target audience. I still loved it nevertheless.
It wasn’t just me either. This is the film that my mom puts on when she can’t sleep and the film we would watch when one of us was sick. There’s just such a comfort to it that my whole family has enjoyed. My brother even got to see the recreation of Julia Child’s kitchen at the Smithsonian which is why I haven’t spoken to him in years. Sure it made living in the same house difficult but I’ll be damned if I speak to the guy who got to see that kitchen before me.
My mother and brother got to visit the Julia Child kitchen exhibit at the Smithsonian a few years ago. Some bastards have all the luck.
“Julie & Julia” was the final film writer/director Nora Ephron made before her death in 2012 and it’s also her finest. Her direction surpasses her previous work like “Sleepless in Seattle” and “You’ve Got Mail” and the screenplay rivals “When Harry Met Sally.” With one story set in the 1950s and another set in 2002, Ephron creates a story with a wide range of generational appeal by utilizing techniques of the Old Hollywood with modern practices. I mean, what other film has both Doris Day and The Talking Heads on its soundtrack?
The film’s dialogue is full of all the wit that you’d expect from Nora Ephron and it’s endlessly quotable. As previously stated, I first watched this film when I was nine and I was quoting films even back then. I thank God, Jesus, the Illuminati and every other kind of power on and off Earth that I didn’t fully process some of the humor that the film has to offer. If I repeated Meryl Streep’s line “these damned things are as hot as a stiff cock” I don’t know who would have died first. My dad out of laughter or my mom out of embarrassment.
Despite being nominated for 15 Academy Awards by the time she made “Julie & Julia,” Meryl Streep delivers one of her most iconic performances as Julia Child. Literally every scene with her is delightful as Streep injects all of her charm with the amazing presence of the famous chef. Not to be understated is Amy Adams who takes on Child’s recipes with the tenacity of a true New Yorker even though she was born in Austin. Both Adams and Streep compliment each other perfectly as Julie’s story is about her trying to emulate Julia and turn her into a mythic muse while Julia’s is about stripping away the famous persona that has been there for decades.
Alongside these adventurous women are their husbands who are more than just side characters. Eric is the rock that helps Julie through her journey but there are some problems with their relationship which they work through in the film. Chris Messina brings such a funny wiseacre quality to the role that makes him an enjoyable presence. The biggest element of drama with Julie’s story is not whether she will complete the challenge, it’s whether she will complete it while also keeping her sanity and marriage intact. Sometimes our passions can consume us to the point of breaking us.
And if there’s one person whose charm can match Streep’s it’s Stanley Tucci who is amazing as Paul Child. Their chemistry is undeniable and, as far as I’m concerned, Stanley Tucci and Meryl Streep can have possession of my soul.
Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci bring all of their natural charisma to “Julie & Julia” by giving the most heartwarming performances.
From a cinematic lens, “Julie & Julia” has so much going for it including the performances, the direction, the brilliant dialogue, the beautiful cinematography by Stephen Goldblatt and the rich Alexandre Desplat score that I pray is one day released on vinyl. But it’s Richard Marks’ editing that truly is fantastic. Whenever you’re telling multiple stories that rarely, if ever, intersect, the pacing is truly important.
What is so great about “Julie & Julia’s” pacing is that you never are waiting impatiently for Julie’s story to take a backseat to Julia’s and vice-versa. Just when you’re getting accustomed to 2002 New York, you’re sent to Paris in the 1950s and you have to remind yourself that there’s a whole other story that you are also loving.
But enough about the acting and the story and all the film school mumbo jumbo that no one gives a shit about. What about the food dammit? Well, “Julie & Julia” joins films like “Ratatouille” and “Chef” in a list of films that you don’t want to show to a malnourished person. To do so would probably violate the Geneva Convention. If you like this film, just get the cookbook and start sauteing. Because I’ve made boeuf borgingon and it is even more delicious than it looks on screen.
What I truly love about the film is how the message is “shit happens, keep pushing through.” These women are resilient as they keep moving forward despite everything that’s hurtled at them. Just keep pushing through with the ones you love and maybe add some more butter to that.
If you’re looking for a truly comforting film during a comforting time of year, “Julie & Julia” is the perfect thing to order.
