Julie & Julia - Assorted Parisian Delights

I recently watched Julie & Julia which has everything I love, food, Paris and Meryl Streep. As I always feel in a movie starring Meryl Streep in any role, no matter how short, she is the one who steals the show. This must by no means surprise anyone who is aware of her or her multiple academy nominations and wins.

The slightly higher than normal pitch of voice, which would be annoying on anyone else, especially in a movie, is absolutely endearing on her portrayal of Julia Child. Julia’s conviviality, her passion for eating as well as cooking and her marital partnership with her husband Paul are all virtues worth emulating in our lives. She understands and accommodates all of her husband’s needs while still being prodigious in her own learning of the culinary skills. She is sympathetic; almost to a fault, diligent and untiring in all facets of her life. She is someone I could see as an inspiration, not just to cooks but wives and friends all around the world.

Paris has long been a setting for Hollywood movies that have wanted to allot a certain rustic charm and improve the aesthetic value, and more often than not, it works like a charm. Like most such movies, Julie & Julia has yet again made me yearn for a trip to Paris, sometime in the indeterminate future.

Amy Adams plays Julie Powell, a modern woman who went from an acclaimed editor of a popular magazine to working a monotonous 9 to 5 job and then distracting herself from the humdrum of daily life by doing what she loves – cooking , and telling the world about it. Her readers responded to her fervor for food, as people do every time something, no matter how small is done sincerely and from the heart.

In the beginning, Julia is shown to be a girl who loved to eat and eat variously. She takes it a step further when she decides she wanted to learn to cook the things she ate. In other words, learning to create what she relished. I hope this would rub off on me someday and I would enjoy cooking as much as I do eating.

Jane Lynch , as always is an absolute blast as Dorothy, Julia’s extremely tall sister who marries a guy who nobody thought she would go for, mostly owing to the height difference, the guy being much shorter. I hope my crush(es) notice that part of the movie and maybe think about…you know?

Paul and Eric are husbands to Julia and Julie respectively, who understand their wives’ passion for cooking, and are mostly, if not entirely supportive. Paul, obviously is more amiable considering he has a wife who is, as far as the movie implies, flawless. Eric is shown to be slightly less disposing, but considering that he is a husband in the prime era of insecurities with a normal working woman with a slightly erratic temper, it is understandable. I personally, would be lucky to have someone like either.

Altogether, I think this movie is the ultimate feel-good movie which is bound to make you excited about cooking, eating, blogging or really just living life to its fullest, doing the things you love.

   What do you think about French cuisine or just cooking in general?
   What did you like/hate about the movie?
Tell us in comments below.