To the best of my knowledge, this is the first Hollywood film based on a blog. To be more correct, it’s based on a novel, based on a woman’s blogging. Originally, I found the term blog to be too hipster for my taste. It’s too “omg”, too “epic fail”. Maybe Julie & Julia can legitimize the term.
In 2002, Julie Powell (Amy Adams) is a newcomer to New York City. She’s taken a job handling September 11th victims’ claims. Being in a cubicle isn’t to her liking, and the stress it’s causing her is affecting her husband (Chris Messina). He encourages her to blog about her life, and this escalates to her blogging about her hero Julia Child (Meryl Streep), with the goal to complete every recipe of her cookbook within a year’s time. During Julie’s time fantasizing about Julia, we are taken to the past to see the origin story of the cooking legend. We see that her husband (Stanley Tucci) had also suggested that she take-up a hobby, and that this is but one of their similarities.
I can appreciate how this isn’t a typical biopic. What I assumed to be essentially a framing device turns out to have some strengths. Adams’s quirky role, is in contrast to that of Streep’s flamboyant portrayal. To Streep’s credit, she sounds much like the genuine article—for most of the picture. It was only during a few tonally challenging words, like tangy, that I could hear her true voice.
I also like having the confines of time frame presented early on, establishing a direction for the film. Additionally, I like the way how both women reverse the roles placed on them by their husbands. It’s a girl power film, where the only present males serve as little else than devices to illustrate exposition.
Julie gets overboard in her referencing Julia. Fortunately the screenplay addresses this but only briefly, and before long her antics kick back in. If I suppose that this is all based on actual occurrences, I was shocked by the conclusion. I can certainly see the plausibility of it, but given what we take in during the film, it seemed like an out of character reaction. I suppose it could strive to be more innovative aesthetically. Aside from a generic ‘50s color simulation, there isn’t anything outside of the norm.
Julie & Julia wasn’t laugh-out-loud hysterical, but it can retain a smile. Julie & Julia didn’t carry a lot of emotions, but it did make the audience sympathetic for the characters. It’s not even a rom-com because the leads have their man from the get go (and thank goodness it didn’t involve a love triangle). Julie & Julia is best categorized as light entertainment. It understands its place, and doesn’t try too hard to impress. ***
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