Julie & Julia (2009)

Directed by: Nora Ephron

Starring: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams

***

My primary reason for seeing this movie was for the performance of Meryl Streep as Julia Child. I didn't expect a bad movie either, in fact, I had heard good things. Neither Streep or the movie disappointed as both lived up to their repuation. Its the aspects of this film that I heard very little about which suprised me in both good and bad ways.

Julie & Julia is essentially two films tied together as one. It is the story of Julia Child as she and her husband Paul (Stanley Tucci) live in France and she learns how to cook and eventually co-writes her cook book, The Art of Mastering French Cooking. Some forty years later, Julie Powell, living in Queens above a pizza parlor with her husband Eric (Chris Messina) decides to cook her way through said book and blog about it. Both storys are true and both women are well portrayed. I heard a lot about how Streep outperforms Adams emmensely in this film and that any ideas that Adams could be the next Streep were put to rest. Well, this isn't really fare to Adams as I think she's very good in this movie. What's unfair about it is that Streep could very obviously play her character well as Julia Child had a very distinguishable voice and personality. Amy Adams had to play an average New York City woman. Who Child was is well documented, all that's documented about Powell is her blog (and since some books etc. but I doubt there's a lot written about who she was)

Another aspect of the two women's performances that I don't think can go unmentioned is who they were playing off of. A big part of this movie and a very important part for that matter is the role of Child's and Powell's husbands. Both were supportive, caring husbands. Yes, they were both a little bit less than ironed out and turned out to be very one dimensional for the most part but its interesting to note the difference between someone who doesn't have any clue how to act as the supportive husband and one who is atleast trying to make something out of what he's given. Stanley Tucci is a pretty good character actor. In Julie & Julia, he's handed the very straightforward role of Paul Child. Occasionally some depth is added to his character by bringing up the politics of his job and of the era but he still is pretty much there only to make sure we know that what Julia is cooking tastes good. Chris Messina plays Eric Powell and well, he's just annoying. His character, that being the one that was written on the page isn't annoying, that character is just, again, one dimensional, but Messina trying and subsequently failing to make his character funny, or though provoking is just plain annoying. However, again, the Ephron does try to bring some depth to him too... he isn't perfect and after a fight with Julie over... actually I don't remember what it was over, it was kind of stupid... he leaves for a couple days before returning... no apoligies, that part of the movie was over. Back to being the same supportive husband. So, with Streep performing with Tucci and Adams with Messina, I was more impressed with Adams remaining strong in her performance that I was with Streep whom I'd never doubt.

I think Ephron did the back and forth between stories well. It wasn't ever jarring and neither story lasted too long before I wanted to get back to the other. Even more importantly, I don't think either story was that much greater than the other. The time period in which Child lived was well re-created and it contrasted modern day New York just one year removed from 9/11. I mention 9/11 for two reasons. One being that Julie worked for a post-9/11 something... I didn't really get exactly what it was, but she sat in a cubicle answering phones. Also, politics continuously made an unncessary appearance. I'm certain the McCarthy hearings were there to contrast the post 9/11 New York but I knew what time periods we were dealing in anyway. The politics just didn't seem like a necessary layer.

Overall, Julie & Julia was a good movie. Both actresses carried their prospective stories well and despite the lack of depth from supporting characters and the smaller aspects of the movie trying to be too deep I was entertained.