Can a dramatically inert movie be worth your while?
It might if it features cuter than a button Amy Adams and Miss Oscar herself, Meryl Streep.
“Julie & Julia,” whipped up by Nora Ephron based on the lives of two real women, weaves a pair of mini biographies together without much narrative heft. But the actresses rally time and time again to make the movie a qualified delight.
Adams stars as Julie, a bored New York City worker drone who longs to write but isn’t quite sure how to jump-start a writing career. So she decides to combine her passions – writing and cooking – into a fledgling blog.
Julie worships at the altar of Julia Child, so she decides to make every recipe in Child’s most famous cooking tome.
Meanwhile … the second story involves Julia Child herself (Meryl Streep), another bored wife who decides to take a cooking class on a whim. Suffice to say she finds her niche and decides to pursue a career in the culinary arts.
Streep is a marvel, but it’s hard not to feel it’s more impersonation, albeit one that’s darn near perfect. Had Streep let up on the acting accelerator, we might see the character breathe and experience a bit more than what happens on screen.
It’s still a lively performance, chock full of energy and brio, both of which help pave over the narrative’s lack of credible obstacles. Imagine a Bond film without a villain, a rom-com without the betrayal leading up to the reconciliation.
Adams’ half of the film is equally inert. Let’s face it. Blogging can be deadly dull on screen, and that’s the bulk of Julie’s purpose in the movie. When Julie and her amiable husband (Chris Messina) fight, it comes out of nowhere, feels contrived and is quickly resolved.
Neither story has much tension, yet the performances and crisp screenplay keep dragging us back into these women’s lives. Ephron the screenwriter generously spreads the laughter and emotional truths, giving shape to each character and letting the actresses do the rest.
“Julie & Julia” offers a pair of attractive portraits, but they hang in a rather unremarkable motion picture.
(Photo: Meryl Streep as “Julia Child” in Columbia Pictures’ “Julie & Julia”/Photo credit David Giesbrecht/Columbia Pictures)
No related posts.
on 
on 
