Julie & Julia

I really am on a food tip aren't I what with Magnolia Bakery and stuff. This film was being promoted heavily in the UK before I headed to the States but to be honest I never really paid much attention. All I knew was that it starred Meryl Streep and was about famous cook, Julia Childs. However, I decided to watch it on an impulse last week when I was in Atlanta. Well it was that or I Can Do Bad All By Myself but I was really not in the mood for a Tyler Perry movie; I admire the man and like his work but that night I was not feeling it. As soon as the credits started I knew I had made the right choice, for a start it was produced by Nora Ephron who I adore (more on her in another blog) and who brought us Sleepless in Seattle and You Got Mail. Ephron's films contain a magical air that makes you leave the cinema feeling all gooey inside. Julie & Julia is the story of Julie Powell played by Amy Adams, a failed writer in a dead end job who has given up on her dream. She comes across a copy of a cookbook by the famous Julia Child played by Meryl Streep and decides to set herself the task of following all 524 recipes. With the encouragement of her husband she sets up a blog to document her experiences and pretty soon gains a huge following. The film also takes us back to the 40s in Paris and shows Julia Child's journey in becoming one of the greatest cooks of her time. As both women set about reaching their goals and pushing themselves to breaking point they go through a journey that transforms their lives.

This is a really gorgeous film which not only tells the story of two remarkable women but also harbours a lot of values in it. It demonstrates that cooking is not just something that women have to do in sufferance to put food on the table but is an activity that brings a lot of joy. More importantly it teaches you that you should never ever give up on your dream and that you should always believe in yourself. I totally related to Julie Powell as a frustrated writer in a dead end job; been there done that and bought the tshirt. Amy Adams plays this feisty character with a lot of charm and zest and as for Meryl Streep, every time I see that woman in something she never fails to amaze me with her range and depth. Julie & Julia is a fantastic movie about hope and passion. Nora Ephron has made a great job of entwining the memoirs by Julia Childs, My Life in France together with the one by Julie Powell, Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously together.

You can check out Julie Powell's blog here.