Film Of The Week: Julie & Julia (12A)

Damon Smith • Published 17 Sep 2009 09:00 0 Comments

MERYL Streep looks certain to secure a 16th Oscar nomination for her tour-de-force portrayal of an American cultural icon in the new comedy from writer-director Nora Ephron (Sleepless In Seattle).

Based on two memoirs set more than 50 years apart, Julie & Julia is a frothy and entertaining tale of cuisine, l'amour and the art of killing lobsters.

As a film of two distinct halves, Ephron's confection is hopelessly unbalanced.

Scenes involving Streep in post-Second World War France are utterly delightful and every time she is off-screen, we hunger for more.

Present-day sequences headlined by Amy Adams, Streep's co-star in 2008's Doubt, are a mere amuse bouche in comparison, lacking the warmth or the depth of emotion that takes hold in late 1940s and early '50s Paris.

Julia Child (Streep) is an inspiration to generations of women across the Atlantic.

She was the first American woman to study at the esteemed Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris, and then introduced authentic French cuisine to the kitchens of her homeland, signing off her television show with the catchphrase, "I'm Julia Child. Bon appetit!".

Ephron's film opens in the French capital as Julia and her doting US diplomat husband Paul settle into new lodgings.

Blessed with an indefatigable spirit, Julia yearns for something productive to keep her amused. "What is it you really like to do?" asks Paul as they tuck into a hearty lunch. "Eat," replies Julia with gusto.

So Julia flouts convention and attends Le Cordon Bleu, where teachers deride her initial efforts.

Meanwhile, in 2002 New York, enthusiastic cook Julie Powell feels emotionally worn down by her work for an organisation connected with the rebuilding of the World Trade Center.

She decides to work through all 524 recipes in Child's seminal tome, Mastering The Art Of French Cooking, in just 365 days and pen a blog about her exploits.

Ephron cuts back and forth between the two storylines, contrasting Julia and Paul's rock-solid marriage with Julie's foundering relationship with her husband Eric, who grows weary of his wife's obsession with rich sauces.

Julie & Julia rises like a souffle thanks to Streep's portrayal of Child, whose distinctive, high-pitched voice was famously caricatured by Dan Aykroyd on Saturday Night Live.

She imbues the statuesque gourmand with pluck and vulnerability, and the chemistry with Tucci is irresistible as he toasts Julia at a dinner party with the heartfelt words: "You are the butter to my bread, the breath to my life".

Adams and Messina have to work much harder in their segments to win sympathy. "I'm never going to meet her," whines Julie. "But you already know her," replies Paul soothingly.

Indeed, we feel like we do know Julia Child by the end of Ephron's film, which simmers nicely but never quite comes to the boil.

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This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 17 Sep 09

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