Meryl Streep is the Queen of Hollywood. In the first three decades of her career she had splendid performances in films like The Deer Hunter, Kramer vs Kramer, Sophie's Choice, Out of Africa, and The Bridges of Madison County that cemented her as one of the greatest female thespians of all time. This decade has been something else though. Never has someone graced the screen so effortlessly and managed to capture the audience regardless of the quality of the film. Adaptation, The Hours, The Devil Wears Prada, Rendition, Mamma Mia! and Doubt have all had varying success, but one thing remained the same: Streep was magnificent. You can go right ahead and add Julie and Julia to that list.
What could have been an overdone and overwhelming caricature of a woman larger than life, Streep turns Julia Child into a lovable woman whose positive outlook on life becomes infectious. I've never seen someone like her, maybe those people don't exist anymore. However Streep only plays one half of the titular pairing and it is to Amy Adams' credit that Julie Powell is almost just as intriguing. A stark contrast can be seen immediately between her modern day pessimist and the bright light that is her idol, causing Julie's tale to seem slightly trivial at times, perhaps unfairly.
Being the first motion picture based on a blog – watch out for the flood of blog-aptations to come – may have some superficial benefits, however the undercooked screenplay formed around it is evident. It is drawn out and the beginning of the third act dishes up the obligatory "fall before the rise" arc, which is normally integral to any underdog tale yet here feels completely unnecessary. Also, watching the trailer a few months before it was released you already knew how the beginning, middle and end would play out, subsequently putting a lot of pressure on the aesthetic aspects of the film to excel.
Stephen Goldblatt's cinematography and Mark Ricker's production design are complimentary of each other and equally beautiful. Following Julia around the streets of 40's Paris is like being transported to both time and place. Their depiction of 2002 New York still feeling the effects of 9/11 (an early scene pays particular attention to this) is suitably broken and unsure, whilst Julie's rundown yet charismatic apartment is a wonderfully utilised metaphor for her life.
The failings of the screenplay aside, this is a delectably light-hearted film that will have you walking out of the cinema with a great big smile and a rumbling tummy.
4 out of 5 (1 - Rubbish, 2 - Ordinary, 3 - Good, 4 - Excellent, 5 - Classic)
What could have been an overdone and overwhelming caricature of a woman larger than life, Streep turns Julia Child into a lovable woman whose positive outlook on life becomes infectious. I've never seen someone like her, maybe those people don't exist anymore. However Streep only plays one half of the titular pairing and it is to Amy Adams' credit that Julie Powell is almost just as intriguing. A stark contrast can be seen immediately between her modern day pessimist and the bright light that is her idol, causing Julie's tale to seem slightly trivial at times, perhaps unfairly.
Being the first motion picture based on a blog – watch out for the flood of blog-aptations to come – may have some superficial benefits, however the undercooked screenplay formed around it is evident. It is drawn out and the beginning of the third act dishes up the obligatory "fall before the rise" arc, which is normally integral to any underdog tale yet here feels completely unnecessary. Also, watching the trailer a few months before it was released you already knew how the beginning, middle and end would play out, subsequently putting a lot of pressure on the aesthetic aspects of the film to excel.
Stephen Goldblatt's cinematography and Mark Ricker's production design are complimentary of each other and equally beautiful. Following Julia around the streets of 40's Paris is like being transported to both time and place. Their depiction of 2002 New York still feeling the effects of 9/11 (an early scene pays particular attention to this) is suitably broken and unsure, whilst Julie's rundown yet charismatic apartment is a wonderfully utilised metaphor for her life.
The failings of the screenplay aside, this is a delectably light-hearted film that will have you walking out of the cinema with a great big smile and a rumbling tummy.
4 out of 5 (1 - Rubbish, 2 - Ordinary, 3 - Good, 4 - Excellent, 5 - Classic)