Film: Julie and Julia
Star Cast: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, Linda Emond
Screenwriter: Nora Ephron
Writers: Nora Ephron, Julie Powell (book)
Composer: Alexandre Desplat
Editor: Richard Marks
Director: Nora Ephron
Producer: Nora Ephron, Laurence Mark, Amy Robinson, Eric Steel
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama
Runtime: 2 hrs 3 mins
Rating: 3/5

A complete entertainer that reverberates the cadence and mind-set of classic Hollywood films, Julie and Julia is an enjoyable throwback to all the old fantasies watched years back. Based on two different books, the story is all about two women trying to find out something that is worth their involvement and end up finding out that it is cooking that completes them, making them enjoy their living.

Directed by Nora Ephron, the movie skillfully blends two different stories narrated by two different books that are linked by same theme and subject. The first one is related to Julia’s child’s (Meryl Streep) My Life in France, a book written by a well-known cook, teacher and writer who has done her Masters in French Cooking and is also associated with The French Chef television show that drastically changed the American culinary landscape. The second book is written by Julie Powell, featured on her self quest in cooking all the 524 recipes of Child’s book made for “the servant less American cook”.

Both the stories are tales of sisters, so to say, who are doing everything for themselves, though both of them have successful, trustworthy and encouraging husbands (Stanley Tucci and Chris Messina). Also, it’s an exceptional Hollywood movie featuring men as supporting characters, instead of the women.

The comic-dramatic role of Julia Child was extremely well acted by Meryl Streep. The best part was that she was simple and easy going with her character. Amy Adams as Julie Powell has also given her best throughout the movie. Ephron’s unflustered writing and directing gets its smooth pace with Richard Marks’ soft editing, Ann Roth’s costumes and Mark Ricker’s production design. Also, Stephen Goldblatt has cinematographed Paris fantastically as a rosy glow of re-created fantasy and also making not much imposing Meryl Streep as tall as 6.2 feet.