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Amazon.co.uk Review
Julie & Julia is a film that should be relished with gusto--accompanied by the freshest and best ingredients, pounds of butter, and bottles of the very best wine. It lovingly celebrates the life of one of American food's most influential and beloved figureheads: Julia Child--played here with zest, humor, and a sweet, subtle respect by Meryl Streep, whose performance is spectacular. Julie & Julia is based on the book by Julie Powell, a frustrated New York bureaucrat who wants to be a writer. "But you're not a writer until someone publishes you," she moans. So she gives herself a challenge: to cook her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year, and to blog about it. As Powell (played with chirpy determination by Amy Adams), begins to find her groove as a cook, and her voice as a writer, the project takes on a life of its own--and in the end it does provide the struggling young woman with her life's purpose, to her very pleasant surprise. But mostly, Julie & Julia is a valentine to Child, to Child's amazing love affair with her dashing husband, Paul (Stanley Tucci, as divine as any soufflé in the film), and to her outlook on embracing life, and ordering seconds. Streep throws herself into the Child role with real affection for her character, and while certain of Child's idiosyncrasies--including her warbly voice and unflappable haphazardness in the kitchen--are retained, it's Child's character and vision which form Streep's portrayal, and which make the film so involving and rewarding. Nora Ephron directs with deftness and a light touch, though she seems at times to be encouraging some of Meg Ryan's onscreen tics in Adams (the self-conscious head tilt, for one). But mostly she simply allows Streep to channel Child and her love of food, her husband, and 1950s Paris. And that is a recipe for something truly sublime. --A.T. Hurley
DVD Description
Stills from Julie and Julia (click for larger image)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
60 of 63 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
As a British viewer (possibly a rather ignorant one!) who did not know the Julia and Julie story, I found this movie absorbing and entertaining and one which did not outstay its welcome, lengthy as it was. The story is pretty well told in other reviews. Period detail for the Julia Child side of it is well caught, and Meryl Streep's performance is an absolute tour de force - she commands the screen whenever she appears. Another reviewer found Amy Adams bland as Julie, and I absolutely disagree with that. I thought she was charming and most sympathetic, as she needs to be if the film is to work at all, because it is her story that brings in the Julia Child story, and indeed this is the film of her book. All the performances are assured and convincing, and the screenplay, by Nora Ephron, is often witty and amusing (there is a very good joke even in the end credits) - never laugh-out-loud humour, but more subtle and more satisfying than that. What's there not to like? Another reviewer isn't turned on by fine cooking - well, neither am I, but there's a lot more to this film than that. Indeed it is not really a film about cooking but about two women in different times who set out to do something and become absorbed in it to the point of takeover, and that brings its own problems and triumphs. In the end, this is a feel-good film, a good one, and I like feeling good - so I liked the film.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I didn't have any major desire to see it but when I did it was so well done and very cute, Amy Adams was amazing. I think she's my favourite actress since this film. Though it's not exactly an action-packed story line the characters are so interesting and honest it's fabulous. Didn't know what to expect but it had me hooked 5 minutes in.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I watched this film on DVD recently - I wish I had seen it at the cinema. Even so, I really enjoyed it. It goes without saying that Meryl Streep is fantastic (although I found the voice of Julia a little irritating) but I also really liked the actress that played Julie; I have not seen her in anything else but I am sure we will see more of her in the future.
Given that I like anything French, I enjoyed the Paris atmosphere in the film and it is interesting to see the anthithesis of life in modern New York. It was an uplifting film, although a bit sad at the end (the scene where Julie is in the "museum" version of Julia's kitchen - I will not say any more so as not to spoil the film for you if you haven't seen it yet). I also liked the actors playing their two husbands and it was lovely to see a portrayal of relationships of couples that are not just based on lust, greed, selfishness (as you often do these days in TV series and films) but on mutual respect for the other person and supporting them through what they have to do. Not sure if they were like that in real life but who cares! It is these "quiet" relationships (that do not make the columns of the gossip magazines) that are of real value to someone's life.
I am quite fond of cooking myself and making everything from scratch so needless to say I bought the paperback version of Julia Child's book after seeing the film. I've already tried one of the fish recipes (with the onion and mushrooms on top) and it was tasty and simple to follow through (although, as one of the reviewers on amazon rightly said about the book, the font is a little small in the first book).
If you want to have a great evening in, this film is definitely a treat.
Given that I like anything French, I enjoyed the Paris atmosphere in the film and it is interesting to see the anthithesis of life in modern New York. It was an uplifting film, although a bit sad at the end (the scene where Julie is in the "museum" version of Julia's kitchen - I will not say any more so as not to spoil the film for you if you haven't seen it yet). I also liked the actors playing their two husbands and it was lovely to see a portrayal of relationships of couples that are not just based on lust, greed, selfishness (as you often do these days in TV series and films) but on mutual respect for the other person and supporting them through what they have to do. Not sure if they were like that in real life but who cares! It is these "quiet" relationships (that do not make the columns of the gossip magazines) that are of real value to someone's life.
I am quite fond of cooking myself and making everything from scratch so needless to say I bought the paperback version of Julia Child's book after seeing the film. I've already tried one of the fish recipes (with the onion and mushrooms on top) and it was tasty and simple to follow through (although, as one of the reviewers on amazon rightly said about the book, the font is a little small in the first book).
If you want to have a great evening in, this film is definitely a treat.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
a viewer
This film deserves 5 stars. It is so entertaining. Written by Nora Ephron it is like a culinary delight to watch. Read more
Published 1 month ago by ReaderA
Junk and Junkier
Please please please save your money - Streep's character is a cross between Margaret Thatcher and Mrs Bouquet (Bucket) while Adams's character is more John Major! Read more
Published 1 month ago by Bobg
Love it!
I didn't really know much about this movie before I saw it. I had heard of Julia Child and MTAOFC but had never heard of Julie Powell and her blog. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Aido
A must!
I so love this film!
Was really depressed when I tried to buy it in the shops because apparently all copies were sold out. Read more
Was really depressed when I tried to buy it in the shops because apparently all copies were sold out. Read more
Published 6 months ago by SmilingJunkie
Great movie
I found this movie really good. I love Meryl as Julia - she plays this so well. The intimate detailed showed in her life is amazing.
Published 7 months ago by Twin Flames
Bon appetite!
I was a little nervous about the plot of the film. Would it be a generic romantic comedy or a dull pre-mid-life crisis drama? In the end I couldn't resist Ms. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Lord Anon
Julie cooks Julia
This used product arrived in very good condition. I absolutely love this film and was thrilled to receive the free cooking book with it. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Kari.T
Delicious Entertainment
I had already bought this on ordinary dvd, but having converted to blu-ray and as this has become one of my all time favourite films, I just had to have the blu-ray version. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Rachel OK
A Recipe for Success!
At over 2 hours long, it's a pretty lengthy film but I quickly became so absorbed that the time flew by and suddenly it was at an end. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Chloe S "Chick Lit Chloe"
Julie and Julia on DVD
I cannot remember why we watched this film but I was glad we did. Meryl Streep and Amy Adams are very convincing in their roles and the whole story is fun, uplifting and enjoyable. Read more
Published 8 months ago by RR Waller
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