Julie & Julia is a movie perfect for a girls’ night out. It’s an eclectic mix of food, relationships and writing. Meryl Streep plays Julia Child and Amy Adams – Julie Powell in writer-director Nora Ephron’s adaptation of two bestselling memoirs: Powell’s Julie & Julia and My Life in France, by Julia Child. The story intertwines the lives of two women, Julie & Julia, though separated by at least half a century, find themselves in limbo, until they discover the joy of cooking – that inimitable combination of passion, fearlessness and of course, butter!
Not a traditional ‘foodie’ movie, this Ephron production is interestingly not about women in desperate pursuit of men. Marriage does figure in the story, but it isn’t the thing, making it refreshing and also fulfilling. Streep’s performance was once again stunning, embodying the immediately recognizable Julia Child. Amy Adams’ Julie, though being a good performance was overshadowed by Streep’s portrayal of Julia. Ephron successfully draws obvious and interesting parallels between a number of passions, be it cooking, writing or making a name for oneself. Julie’s story is the less interesting of the two, with Julia’s character inherently more interesting. However, the film holds it together remarkably well, like any good culinary feat, leaving a sense of satisfaction.
The movie won much praise from film critics with the LA times saluting Nora Ephron for “…whipping up something wonderful in ‘Julie & Julia.’ Bon appétit, indeed.” The USA Today cited the movie as a light and entertaining treat with “winning performances, sharp writing and some happy surprises.”