If I were to describe Julie and Julia in one word, it would be precious. There isn’t anything particularly riveting about it; nothing about it will change your world. But it is a pleasant two hours that will at the very least make you want to cook up some boeuf bourguignon. Or perhaps, start a blog, which is precisely how it left me.
As for the pulp (food pun intended) of the movie itself, well, it was mostly great. It's basically a parade of things you probably have never cooked: beef jello (which has a fancier name in actuality), poached eggs, and of course, boeuf bourguignon.
Stanley Tucci and Meryl Streep were absolutely perfect together in The Devil Wears Prada. In Julie & Julia, Stanley Tucci gave a subtly wonderful performance as Paul Child, and Meryl Streep delivered a spot-on performance as Julia Child. However, I just didn’t buy them as a couple together. The lovey, romantic scenes were as awkward as imagining your parents in such scenarios. No such problems with the chemistry between Julie Powell (Amy Adams) and Eric Powell (Chris Messina), who, despite their usual marital problems, make you want to be in an adorable Queens-living couple yourself. (Okay, maybe not the Queens part...)
Personally, that chemistry was the only real bone I had to pick with the film, though my mother said her ears were ringing from Julia Child's nagging voice. A valid complaint indeed.
Oh, and one last thing: I wish they had left out the part where you learn that Julia Child didn't approve of Julie Powell's blog. It put a bit of a wet blanket over the whole thing, but, oh well, I guess that's just how the (French) cookie crumbles.
[Jillian]
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