Meryl Streep is such an amazing actress that when you are watching Julie & Julia you actually forget about the Julie part of the movie. It is frequently an abrupt transition when the film switches to 2002 and you can't wait to get back to Meryl Streep, Julia Child and Paris, France. That's saying a lot since Amy Adams is a pretty good actress herself and her performance as the dedicated, sometimes bitchy and often crazy Julie is excellent. The simple fact is we don't always like Julie, but we love Julia.
The film is based on two books, My Life in France, Julia Child's autobiography and Julie & Julia: 365 days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen. The second book was a memoir based on a series of blogs Julie Powell started writing in 2002. Director & writer Nora Ephron took both books and combined them into intertwining stories of a Julie and Julia finding their calling in life.
The film belongs to Meryl Streep. She does not just imitate Julia Child. She creates a character of Julia that matches the one Julie envisions. Amy Adams is excellent as Julie, a somewhat less confident woman who suffers from tantrums, but her performance and scenes are over shadowed by the Julia Child scenes. Stanley Tucci plays Paul Child, Julia's husband. The chemistry this pair had in The Devil Wears Prada has turned into magic. The pair portray a couple truly in love. It is one of the most romantic pairings in years. You sense that these to have known each other forever.
The craftsmanship of the film, cinematography, editing, production design and costumes are all strong. And the food is amazing. The film is filled with food. After you view it you want to gather your friends for a meal and eat something with plenty of butter!!
At The Movie House rating ***1/2 stars.
Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen
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