Julie & Julia - DVD Review

Here's the short version: Writer/director Nora Ephron gives you a double feature with both movies running concurrently. The Julia Child movie is really, really good. The Julie Powell movie isn't. Really isn't. Still, the Julia Child segments are pure magic, thanks in large part to Meryl Streep's deliriously giddy performance as the Grand Dame of French Cooking, and those scenes make the movie enjoyable.

Now for the long version: Julie Powell (Amy Adams) is a mid-level government beaureaucrat who's closing in on thirty and growing angsty because she hasn't done anything with her life that she feels is meaningful. She gave up on her dreams of being a writer, becoming discouraged when she reached the halfway point of her first novel. Her husband Eric (Chris Messina) digs where she's coming from so he suggests a blog. But what's she going to write about? Well, Julie's and enthusiastic cook who idolizes Julia Child. Actually, fetishizes might be a better word, but anyway. So she sets herself the goal of cooking all 524 recipes in Julia's magnum opus Mastering the Art of French Cooking within one year. Seems like a fun project at the time, but the hapless couple have no idea how this is going to snowball.

Then there's Julia's story. Her steadfast, loving husband Paul (Stanley Tucci) has been assigned to Paris, and from her first day in the City of Lights, Julia's in Heaven. She adores the culture. She adores the people. Most of all, she adores the food. So when she finds herself at loose ends, grasping for something to keep her occupied, she opts for the challenging men's cooking curriculum at Cordon Bleu. The expectation is that she'll get discouraged and wash out, but Julia wins over her classmates with good will, bonhomie, and considerable natural talent. From there, Julia's soon teaching cooking classes alongside two Frenchwomen who are trying to write a cookbook on the side. They're running into a snag, though. Their ambitious project would present a comprehensive collection of the flavors of France to American readers, and they can't seem to get the presentation down. Could Julia help?

Oh, yeah. Julia could help.

Ephron goes for an upbeat, bubbly tone for both storylines with wildly mixed results. The Julia Child story is delightful. Streep is wonderful, playing Child as a loopy, loveable force of nature whose natural bonhomie proves to be a substantial component of her success. Stanley Tucci's low-key performance makes the Childs seem like a quintessential odd couple at first, but his sincere devotion and his passionate love for Julia complement his understated demeanor to make him the emotional anchor Julia needs.

The Powell storyline is another beast entirely. Julie comes off as obsessive and neurotic to the point of being creepy. She's angsty before her blog's success and insufferable when she reaches an audience, giving her creepiness two distinct dimensions. This might've been workable if Ephron had played it for dark comedy, but the perky, upbeat tone Ephron imposes on the material feels forced and awkward.

Still, Julia Child's story, fueled by Streep's remarkable performance, makes Julie & Julia worthwhile. Though if I ever revisit this movie, it'll be with remote in hand and finger on the skip button so that I can treat myself to a "good parts" version.