As my wife and I stepped up to the counter at our local multiplex this weekend, I asked the attendant for two tickets to “Julie vs. Julia.” The bemused cashier cocked her head and looked at me strangely until I realized my mistake.
“Julie & Julia, I should say. Sorry”.
Of course – as they always do - my Freudian slip reveals more about me than I’d like. Usually, if I’m making a trip to the theater instead of waiting for video, the movie I’m going to see had better have some explosions and submachine guns - if it knows what’s good for it. The way I figure, if I’m paying nearly $9 to see a film on the big screen, it should at least make good use of the grander format.
Now, Julie & Julia doesn’t fit that bill at all, but it succeeds as an effective and enjoyable film. In fact, while it’s 15 minutes too long and loses a good deal of its charming momentum about an hour in, it’s still one of the best movies I’ve seen this year. And, it’s no worse for its omission of high explosives, but, come on – you have to admit that it wouldn’t have hurt (and it probably would have made de-boning a duck a whole lot easier).
Julie & Julia, the new (and for my dollar, the best) film by writer/director Nora Ephron, deftly bounces between two parallel story lines, each based on true events. In 1949, Julia Child (played brilliantly by Meryl Streep), who would one day introduce French cuisine to everyday Americans and become a renowned author and television personality along the way, moves to Paris with her husband, Paul. There she discovers her love of fine food and her passion for cooking. With two French chefs, she embarks on a long and often disappointing journey to develop and publish an extensive French cookbook for “servantless” Americans.
In 2002, Julie Powell (Amy Adams), an aspiring author stuck in a depressing and thankless job, moves with her husband into a tiny apartment above a noisy pizzeria in Queens. As the idealism and promising potential of her 20’s slips away into the harshly mundane reality of her 30’s, Julie struggles desperately to find meaning and purpose.
She finds it in her commitment to work through Julia Child’s cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, in one year (365 days, 536 recipes), and blog about her experiences. Braving complicated recipes, a cramped kitchen, a busy schedule, and Julia’s unbridled passion for butter, Julie boldly embarks on this culinary mission of challenge and self-discovery.
First off, I can’t go much further without telling you how absolutely fantastic Meryl Streep is in this film. I didn’t know Julia Child that well (I only have a vague memory of reruns of her show on PBS), but, if anything about Streep’s performance matches up, then I can only imagine that Mrs. Child was an amazing and amusing woman.
Every moment she’s on screen is filled with such genuine joviality and feisty spirit that it’s nearly impossible not to smile. Meryl Steep is an accomplished actress, and while this may not rank as her absolute best performance (although it certainly has to be in contention), it is surely one of her most enjoyable.
I really like Amy Adams, too – she won me over with her infectiously cheery work in Enchanted, and I’ve never looked back. Unfortunately, her character here is not as easy to love, and it’s a testament to Amy Adam’s considerable skill and charm that you don’t end up hating Julie Powell (who I’m sure is a perfectly nice woman in real life – her blog, “The Julie/Julia Project” is actually quite endearing, albeit laced with a surprising amount of profanity - but as written, she can come across as horribly whinny and narcissistic).
Adams takes what could have been an unsympathetic character and makes her somehow likeable and warm, infusing her with insecurity and courage in equal measure. There’s something real and beautiful about a vulnerable, yet determined woman,and Adams find just the right balance in her performance.
Chris Messina and Stanley Tucci play Julie and Julia’s kind, supportive, (and at times) long-suffering husbands. Messina does a perfectly serviceable job, but he is quite obviously eclipsed by Tucci’s touchingly understated portrayal. These martial bonds, and their strength and endurance amid the triumph and the turmoil of daily life form the nucleus of this heart-warming picture.
The first half of the film is actually very funny and rightly affecting. The audience was engaged, I was enjoying myself, and at one point, I actually leaned over and whispered to my wife, “You know… sometimes I forget how much I love movies.” But, I’m sorry to say, Julie & Julia falters somewhere in its second act. In fact, a completely unnecessary subplot involving Julia Child’s sister practically brings the film to a screeching halt. It eventually recovers a bit, but the film never fully regains its stride.
In the end, I think that Julie & Julia’s unique structure could have been its greatest hook, but it is, in fact, its biggest obstacle. The mirrored storylines work well through most of the running time, but the parallel construction doesn’t lend itself to a natural conclusion. The ending is realistic and true to life, but it doesn’t offer the kind of satisfying conclusion you’ll be craving. Ultimately, a bit of editing and a tighter narrative focus would have helped the situation. While these mistakes in the recipe aren’t enough to ruin the dish, they do leave a somewhat funky aftertaste.
Julie & Julia probably won’t appeal much to younger audiences (in fact, there were more retirees in the showing I attended than I ever remember seeing in a theater at any one time), but, on the outside chance that your child might want to see it, parents need to know that while the film is relatively tame, there are still some bits that warrant caution.
For one thing, Julie’s obsession with Julia Child borders on worshipful reverence. It’s great to have heroes, but such idolization seems misplaced and dangerous, and it doesn’t exactly set the best example.
There’s not a ton of bad language, but there’s some, and it’s stronger than you might expect from this type of film. Julia makes one rather frank sexual reference that earned a big laugh, but could prove to be uncomfortable for family viewing. Finally, while there is nothing really graphic or explicit, the movie makes it clear that both couples enjoy a healthy sex life. It’s mostly pretty tame - nothing worse than a shot of Julie in her underwear (thank goodness it wasn’t Julia) - and the camera always fades to black, but it still may not be something you want to share with younger children.
I enjoyed Julie & Julia. It may not be the most exciting film of the summer, but it’s also one of the least likely to insult your intelligence. It’s not perfect, but it’s funny, entertaining, and well worth your time.
Caution Rating: 5.5
