Saturday, August 8, 2009

Julie & Julia-Review # 11


Julie & Julia is a film that is first and foremost about Love, I think. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart said: "Neither a Lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of Genius. Love, Love, Love-That is the Soul of Genius". Julia Child needed to find a passion-a love in Paris at the close of WWII. Her husband is certainly the most important person in Her world, but She needed something to occupy her. Childless and frustrated, She tried her hand at millinery among other things. But when Julia Child decided to tangle with the Boys in a competitive cooking class (in which the competition was made more stiff due to the population of returning soldiers-and a contrary school head), She learned more than She even did before that SHE LOVES FOOD!!!! She found her niche and Her passion. Unpolished as She was, Her status as a meticulous authority and author of her famous book(s) is legendary. Nothing less than a "cooking/food/taste scientist", She wanted to create something that would open up the exclusive world of French Cooking/Cuisine up to English speaking (mostly American) Housewives more than it had ever been. She developed the expert feel for this art with much research and hard work. She could be curt and authoritative, but She had earned that right. This fascinating story of Child's is paralleled and intertwined with the story of Julie Powell-a woman with a government job and a need to follow through with something-anything. A suggestion from Her Husband to start a blog becomes a mission to stay focused. But then it becomes so much more. Her Love for food leads her to invite the blogging world (at the very least the readers that followed Her) to read Her blog entries each day for a Year as She determined to go through and complete each recipe in the Most famous book of Julia's-Mastering The Art of French Cooking. She gave an honest account of Her Triumphs and Melt-Downs in this Year-Long quest. Her blog gained a faithful following. This kind of intertwining of two People's lives in a film screenplay is kind of similar to what was done in another Film -The Hours(based on the astonishing novel of the same title), but the difference is that this story of Child and Powell being intertwined is based on the TRUE story of Child's and Powell's as She completed each recipe in Child's Book. That gives a satisfying aspect to the film from the get-go.
First of all, Streep is NEVER less than a Revelation. Her perfection as an actress knows no bounds(Meryl Streep also stars in The Hours) . From mimicking Child's distinctive voice and nailing just about any other of Child's famous and recognizable idiosyncrasies to Her adept comic timing, Streep fills the role of Child unsurprisingly with flair and a comedic zing that is delightful. Stanley Tucci as Paul Child is in good form. There is a nice, warm chemistry between Streep and Tucci. They have worked together before, of course, but I think that this is their finest film together. Amy Adams as Powell is DELIGHTFUL. There is something always gentle and inviting about Adams. She definitely brings the Film along with Her own formidable talent. She, too is hilarious in many scenes. That is one thing that I LOVE about this movie. The important Historical themes and issues along with Philosophical ones of this film are rich-and the comedic parts of this film are MANY and really frost the cake. Streep is always so subtle and understated as an actress with dramatic elements that one feels the wallop without being beaten over the head with them. (A scene dealing with Child's sister announcing by Post that She is expecting a child-and the issue of Child not having any children is a case in point.) Yes-the acting is fabulous. The Prodigious talent of Nora Ephron as a Writer, Producer, and Director is again Manifest in this film. It is excellent work all the way around. (Ephron teamed with Julie Powell to write the screenplay based on Powell's book of the same title-along with using info. from Bios of Child.) Costuming is GREAT. I see maybe an Oscar nod for Ann Roth in that category! I, of course, won't be surprised to see Streep and maybe even Adams nominated. Nice Stuff. So Yeah. Love. The most touching aspect of the film is the Love that Julie Powell feels for Child-this woman that She felt so akin to-Her cooking Sensai in a BIG way (Even though it was just through Julia's recipe/instruction books). Both women-so thorough and precise-this teaching all that One can be thorough and precise no matter their circumstance; That one can acheive excellence despite drawbacks. It takes just the will, the desire, the FOCUS.......THE LOVE. Do Your Homework. Pick what You LOVE and do it. You will never be sorry-and LOVE the journey finding what that is no matter how long that takes. I give this film 3.5 out of 4 stars.
Thanks, Kazzy for a Kaz-Tastic time! :-)

7 comments:

  1. This does look like a great show. When I was a kid me and my sister used to pretend to have a cooking show and we would pretend to have an accent like Julia Childs! LOL!

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  2. That is AWESOME, Stephanie!!!!!!!! :-D

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  3. You definitely make me want to see this movie. Thanks for a great review.

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  4. Great show and great review. I thought, when I knew it was coming out, that I see it because I am a Meryl maniac. But I ended up feeling deeply connected with it for various other reasons too. The cooking. The blogging. The need to find purpose. Universal themes.

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  5. I reviewed (sort of) this movie for a guest post on another friend's blog. I don't think it's gone up yet. But this movie moved me. To tears. It reached me someplace way down deep. I expected it to be fun, which it was. But it was so much more. I like your comparison to The Hours. And I also like your emphasis on love. I ditto Kazzy on the universal themes: The cooking. The blogging. The connectedness. The search for one's purpose. Struck me to my core.

    I think I loved the movie as much as you did.

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  6. Hi Cherranne,
    Your post about Lynn Redgrave let me back to your blog and to this post. I didn't read it back in August because I wanted to see the movie first. This is a great review. I'm glad you mentioned the moment when Julia opens the letter and learns that her sister is expecting a child. For me, that was the most moving moment of the whole movie--how Streep and Tucci, without saying much at all, show you the very conflicted emotions of this married couple. I thought they were both fantastic in this film. - Carolyn

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  7. Thanks, Carolyn! I agree. Streep and Tucci are great together. :)

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