I watched this film in lockdown, and loved it. A case of no expectations resulting in something wonderful, which is a rare and joyful thing.
It’s a film about Julia Childs (Meryl Streep) and her husband Paul (Stanley Tucci). They move to Paris in 1948 from America when Paul is dispatched there by the US government.
Having had a cook as a child, Julia knows nothing about gastronomy or cuisine whereas Paul is a bit of a foodie.
Living in France ignites a passion for cooking in Julia that sees her train at the Cordon Bleu cookery school in Paris and go on to become a hugely successful food author and TV personality over the course of her career.
That’s the Julia part. But what about the Julie bit?
Well, the film contrasts the life of Julia in mid-century Paris with the modern-day life of Julie Powell, a blogger who sets out to cook all 524 recipes in Child’s cookbook (Mastering the Art of French Cooking) in 365 days and blog about it. Julie, who died in 2022, is played by Amy Adams.
Streep, Tucci and Adams? C’mon. That should have sealed the deal but if not, my parting shot:
Nora Ephron wrote and directed it.
Boom. Off you go and enjoy!
If you want more, Childs’ autobiography My Life in France is worth a look. Her description of the couple’s seminal meal in Rouen after they got off the boat and were on their way to Paris is so relatable even with a hefty age gap of 75 years.
Gonna watch. Sounds đŸ‘Œ