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Julie and Julia
A review of the new Meryl Streep/Amy Adams movie – bring plenty of salt!
Based on two separate but true stories, “Julie and Julia” reunites Amy Adams and Meryl Streep after last year’s heavyweight “Doubt” for cookery lessons, although this time you’ll need plenty of salt.
Starting in 1949, Julia Child (Streep) arrives in Paris where she discovers her love of, and talent for cooking and so begins a highly successful television and publishing career. Dash over to Queens, 2002 and downtrodden Julie Powell (Adams) decides to cook all 524 of Child’s recipes for her new blog, because seemingly she has nothing else to do.
With such a lacklustre and gimmicky plot device the essence of the film falls on Adams and Streep’s shoulders. Streep goes for Hyacinth Bucket in full “Lady of the house” mode, shrieking her way through each scene, while Adams autopilots again as another downbeat, unsuccessful nobody who comes good. Even Stanley Tucci as Child’s diplomat husband phones in another performance barely registering more than semi-orgasmic delight at tasting his wife’s cooking or slight annoyance at being witch-hunted by Senator McCarthy.
Nora Ephron, a stalwart of women’s weepies, gives us two simple stories and yet never allows any sort of conclusion, despite the possibility of one. It’s an ending which typifies the film as a whole; take a simple recipe, throw in a few good ingredients and then, as in one scene in the film, let them stew too long before even noticing.
The only funny moment comes in the form of a SNL-style skit Powell watches on TV, as a Child’s look-alike proceeds to bleed to death in one of her own cookery demonstrations. That’s’ it. Not even the sight of a radiant Adams will help ease the pain for the dragged-in male audience, looking more like a boyish Meg Ryan than a sparkling Giselle.
Sadly we are left with yet another movie for the “Mamma Mia” crowd, who will no doubt lap up Streep’s OTT performance as touching and moving. If only someone had sneaked along and added some spice, there might be more to talk about. As it is, expect the UK remake, “Delia and Delilah” to be along very soon.
