Julie & Julia the Movie

It's not a chick flick. Yes, the two main characters are women, but it's not a chick flick. It's about two people who are at a crossroad in their lives, not really knowing what to do with themselves (hmph, sounds oddly familiar...). In the end, they find salvation and purpose in cooking. It's a movie about the the joys, disappointments, triumphs and deliciousness of cooking and butter....

I couldn't think of an actress better suited to play Julia Child than Meryl Streep. Cheers to her dead-on portrayal of this eccentric but beloved icon of cooking. Amy Adams on the other hand... I couldn't decide whether I didn't like her performance or if I just didn't like the character she played... Nevertheless, its a great movie to see (or rent when it comes out on DVD). Hysterically funny at times, continually inspiring.

The movie keeps fairly true to the two true stories it's based on. The Julia Child story comes straight out of her autobiography, My Life In France. The book centers around the years she lived in France and chronicles the trials of learning how to cook at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, the production of her seminal cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and how she went on to become an iconic t.v. personality. The Julie Powell story is based on her actual blog, The Julie/Julia Project. She doesn't blog anymore but her site is still up and running for those who are curious. A bit of warning though, it's pretty "primitive" so reading old entries requires backtracking using the calendar option... She's also got a book floating out there somewhere (basically her blog in book format).

Makes me want to cook my own way through Julie Child's cookbook... OK, maybe not everything in the book, and maybe not in one year, but eventually - there's a lot to be learned from that lady. I will definitely pick up a copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking (gasp! I don't already have it? I know...) and pretend to know what I'm doing. Bone a duck, anyone?

See the trailer here.

:)