Julie & Julia

Out now on DVD & Blu-Ray

by Joanna Orland

Meryl Streep strikes again with another glorious performance. Shame about the whole Amy Adams Julie story arc. Well… it wasn’t that bad… but while I was captivated by Meryl, I found myself ever-so-slightly irritated by Amy Adams’ whining… But let’s focus on the positive.

Meryl Mery Meryl. Meryl Streep as Julia Child – ingenius. Her impression is spot on and her acting brilliant as always. It’s no wonder she was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar for a role in a lighthearted film which would normally be overlooked by the Academy.

Meryl’s story arc follows superchef Julia Child’s beginnings as a bored housewife in France who is there to support her husband’s career in government business. She takes up cooking lessons at a fine French cookery school and soon surpasses all her male counterparts, in spite of some sexist bureaucracy. The story then follows her career to her penning her famed cookbook Mastering The Art of French Cooking, which is how the film links the two separate stories of Julia Child with Amy Adams’ Julie.

Based on a true story, Julie is a bored charity worker who decides to write a blog about cooking every recipe in Julia Child’s cookbook. The Julie story follows her ups and downs with the recipes and her turbulent relationship with her husband. Fear not – all is salvaged through her passion for Julia Child’s art of French Cooking.

True Nora Ephron style, this film feels a bit like watching Sleepless in Seattle meets Julia Child biopic. A bit bizarre, but works well if you’re a fan of Nora and/or Meryl. Overall a recommended viewing for a lighthearted cinematic experience!!! And Meryl will inspire you to try out your own Julia Child impression…

“Bon Apetit!”