Julie & Julia opened this weekend. I've been dying to see this movie, so much so that I went to a 10:50 a.m. screening! Two of my favorite actresses Amy Adams and Meryl Streep; what could be better?Meryl Streep is brilliant in this role. She channels Julia almost better than Julia. She's hilarious, tender and her relationship with her husband is a thing of beauty. Amy Adams is fabulous as well but it is really Meryl Streep's show unlike the book Julie & Julia by Julie Powell.
If you've read the book (and you should) you'll find the focus of the movie is a little different. We see and hear a good deal more about Julia than Julie. The movie is more about Julia's life than her impossible and improbable recipes. No hacking out bone marrow for gelatinous aspics of floating eggs, no puree of cauliflower and watercress with cream and sadly very little about her riotous friends. You'll have to read the book for all of that . And DO read the book.
I dug out my mom's old copy of Mastering the Art of French cooking just to see if she really described in such detail some of the processes and it did not disappoint. You could read this book for entertainment without lifting a copper pot. I think I've come to the conclusion, that although I am French through and through, French cooking would strain my delicate palate not to mention my patience. Give me Italian every time. Sorry Julia.
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Isn't it wonderful? I think they were smart to combine Julia's "My Life in France" with Julie's book to give it more context and weight (and more for Meryl, too, which is no bad thing!) I loved BOTH books almost to a fault (I'll be blogging on this over the weekend when I get breathing room!) and I was so afraid I'd be disappointed in the movie -- I wasn't! It was glorious and I will go back.
And guess what! Rick gave me the Julia "Mastering" for my birthday! (He's no dummy -- someone has to eat the experiments. No, I don't think I'll go Julie-crazy, but I'll have fun!)
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