The Joy of Julie & Julia

Julie & Julia was pure entertainment. The title of this film should be amended to Julie, Julia, & Nora. Nora Ephron's script and direction, along with the performances of Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, add up to one joyous picture.

Ms. Ephron did something unique in basing the movie on the life of Julia Child (Meryl Streep) and the experience of Julie Powell (Amy Adams), who wrote an online blog about her experience cooking all 524 recipes in Julia's cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking (a task she completed within a self-imposed deadline of 365 days). The film goes back and forth between the lives of the two women, and both actresses are totally convincing in their roles.

The supporting roles of Julia's husband, Paul (Stanley Tucci), and young Julie's husband, Eric (Chris Messina), are also marvelously performed. One scene, in which Julia and Paul become sensual in bed, may cause some--accustomed to thinking of Julia as a mother figure--to avert their eyes, feeling as though they've accidentally violated the privacy of their parents' bedroom.

As many of you know, I recently spent six weeks in the hospital and two weeks recovering at home. This was the first film I saw in eight weeks, and it was a wonderful choice.

This review was originally published in a post that included Mayor Koch's review of The Hurt Locker. To read the entire post, click here.