Movie with Abe: Julie & Julia

Julie & Julia
Directed by Nora Ephron
Released August 7, 2009

Any movie about food already has something going for it – the description of delicious recipes can’t really go wrong. The important question is whether the chef making the food has an interesting story that should be told, and “Julie & Julia” is an interesting case in that it tells not one but two stories. World-renowned chef Julia Child clearly makes for a good story, but what about the less known blogger Julie Powell? Fortunately, smart splicing and splitting between the two stories makes this a delight of a film.

Telling two stories at once often leads to the favoring of one over the other, but that’s not the case here. The lives of Julia Child and Julie Powell, though never quite intersecting, are both stories of eventual success after tremendous perseverance and unmatched determination. Showing them together enhances both parts of the film, and seeing two women face similar struggles in different time periods is very interesting. Though both had much to overcome, they were always supported by their respected husbands, and therefore the film is kept upbeat by the frequent smiling of the two most loving and devoted husbands in the world. A movie about food should be happy, and if there’s one thing that can be said about this film, it would be that it’s a crowd-pleaser.

Luckily, that’s not the only thing that can be said about “Julie & Julia.” In addition to some mouth-watering menu items, the performances are pretty great. Both husbands are effortlessly charming and likable thanks to the performances of Stanley Tucci and Chris Messina. The two leading ladies bring different strengths to the table. Amy Adams is wonderfully sympathetic, and though she’s not as bubbly as she often is in other films, she’s still a great hero for audiences to root for and follow. Meryl Streep creates a stunning imitation of the real Julia Child, and it’s a thoroughly entertaining portrayal that’s utterly delightful.

This genre of light-hearted comedy doesn’t always produce great films, but “Julie & Julia” stands out due to its great writing and lovely performances. Nora Ephron is the go-to romantic comedy scribe, and this is a great entry in her oeuvre. It’s a rather long film, running just over two hours, and while it’s long, there isn’t a sense of needing to cut anything specific, and once it’s finally over, the positive feelings of food and fondness for both Julie and Julia still linger.

B+

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