Just Julia

(Poster by BLT & Associates)

I went to see Julie & Julia on Saturday, and it was really quite delightful. I had doubts about a movie based on a book based on a blog, but it was entertaining and well done. Meryl was flawless, of course, and Stanley Tucci (as Julia's husband, Paul) was just adorable. For those who are unfamiliar with the premise of the movie, it consists of two separate storylines--one that follows Paul and Julia Child during the years chronicled in Julia's memoir My Life in France and one that follows real-life blogger and amateur cook Julie Powell through a year in which she decides to cook every recipe in Julia's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The blending of the two story lines was an ingenious move, as I'm not sure that either one could have stood on its own for the full two hours. Actually...I probably could have watched two hours of Meryl-as-Julia. Julia's humor and zest for life combined with the scenery of 1950s Europe is a pretty intoxicating mix. Two hours of Amy-as-Julie, however? I think I'll pass. The modern-day arc was simply not all that compelling, and the Julie "character" was not particularly likeable. Note to Nora Ephron: how about a sequel entitled Just Julia? :)