Julie & Julia

Before I bought this film I hadn't seen it in a theater or on TV. I bought it because I was curious as to how Meryl Streep would bring Julia Child to the screen and be convincing in the role. Amy Adams, as Julie is absolutely wonderful as the young woman who is a frustrated ad unpublished writer who discovers her heart and soul in a blog she begins online. This is not just any blog...it is the journey of a person who has difficulty completing tasks and who sets out to challenge herself into writing a blog and forcing herself to do so on a daily basis! But what is the subject matter going to be? Blog about what? What will be interesting enough to write and be a subject that she, and hopefully others, will have enough pizazz to hold her focus? Julie loves to cook and decides that recipes will be the point of her blog...but not just any recipe and not just any food! It is to be the foods of France and the recipes of the one woman who brought its wonders into our collective consciousness...Julia Child! We meet Julia Child from the moment she lands in Paris from the USA in 1948, as a woman married to Paul Child, a wonderful man who is in the US Foreign Service. With her bright blue Buick woody station wagon in tow, Julia wends her way through Paris with a brand of animated excitement only she can register. Since she has relatively little to do in her new surroundings, her love of good food along with the foods she is eating at the fine restaurants in the region, gives her the idea of learning how to cook in the French manner. Along the way she decides to try and translate this wonderful cuisine into something suited to the American housewife. The long road from studying at Cordon Bleu and her meeting with Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle to the publishing of "Mastering The Art of French Cooking" is the backdrop for Julia Child's part of this wonderful, true story and it is an integral part of the film because of Streep's masterful performance! Once again you are stunned by the transformation of Streep into the rather large (6'2"), very quirky, gifted, intelligent and vocally unique, Julia Child. There is not a moment in the entire film where you do not believe you are actually seeing Child in the flesh and that is quite a feat! Meanwhile Julie decides to blog about her life as it co-insides with and as she offers up all 524 recipes over the next 365 days to her readers, if she indeed gets any, and sets out to follow the culinary path of one of the world's greatest chefs in so doing! This is a fun film that includes all the poignancy, drama and unpredictability of real life...and it is a must see! Yes, you must see this film in order to believe it...better yet, you must have this film in your collection so you can see it again and again when you need a lift or when you just want to watch, yet another jaw-dropping performance by Streep. Once again, a great big BRAVO to the entire cast but especially to Meryl Streep, who never ceases to amaze.

I love the movie JULIE & JULIA and the BLURAY edition has some great extras. If you haven't seen the movie, "JULIE & JULIA" is based on the book Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously about writer Julie Powell's blog about cooking 524 of Julia Child's recipes from the book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1 , in one year. It also goes back in time and shows what was going on in Child's life and how the book came about. But the movie is so much more than a cook-a-thon and bio-pic. It also deals with how people can transform their lives by following their passion, even when everyone else says you can't do it. The film also shows the love that people can have for one another and how eating is so much more than just satisfying hunger; it brings people together. The movie is funny, has dramatic moments, and the cast is outstanding! I think Meryl Streep did Julia Child better than Julia herself, LOL. And the set and wardrobe designs for the Julia Child segments are beautiful. The JULIE & JULIA BLU-RAY features these extras: ===== SPECIAL FEATURES ====== * 27:35-minute featurette -- "Creating Julie & Julia" Director Nora Ephron, the real Julie Powell, Meryl Streep (Julia), Amy Adams (Powell), Chris Messina (Powell's husband in the film), Stanley Tucci (Paul Child), Jane Lynch (Julia's sister in the film), costume designer Ann Roth, Child's nephew Alex Prud'Homme, and others discuss making the movie and the books. * 47:29-minute featurette -- "Friends and Family Remember Julia Child" Judith Jones the editor who worked with Julia Child's first book, co-author Simone Beck (Simca), nephew Alex Prud'Homme, and others discuss what it was like working with Julia Child and how it was growing up with such a famous aunt. * 22:21-minute featurette -- "Julia's Kitchen" Smithsonian curators discuss meeting with Child and how they managed to take her kitchen and place it at the Smithsonian. Very insightful and you get a tour of the kitchen and all the stuff in there. * 5 Cooking Lessons * Five cooking lessons -- two with Julia Child "Poaching Eggs" and "Making Hollandaise Sauce"-- the other three recipes feature other chefs: "Scrambled Eggs," "Braised Beef Short Ribs," and "Butter Poached Maine Lobster." I haven't done any of the recipes but they look good. Anyway, there's something really delightful in JULIE & JULIA and even though I've seen it many times now, the first being on cable, I never get tired of watching it.

Great movie!

I've watched this movie several times and I just adore it I think it's the cutest thing and it inspires me to do the things I like to do and not worry about what other people think.

I LOVE JULIA CHILD. I have most of her books and have seen many reruns of her original program that I did not get to watch when it was originally air as I am not that old :). However, the magic of this remarkable LEGEND is such that you can't be a foodie and not to love Julia child for her contribution to the American Cuisine. Without her we would not have the great wave of the European cooking methods, techniques that were followed by food and ingredients import that filled our local stores to our delight and enrichment of our lives. She started it all, she truly put America on the tracks to more sophisticated cooking that went beyond and above simple and redundant repertoire of the "Joy of cooking" American standards, however perfectioned, incredibly worn by the time she entered the scene. Julia Child's life is limited to the bits from the moment she discovers her love for French Foods to the time when her collaborated book has been published and hit the US market and bit after that. The other story is of a young woman who engages with at the time still alive Julia Child's cooking but never meets her in person. I don't want to reveal the story so I end here. I personally prefer the Julia's story as I really wanted to see her life made into the film and it is the only one that does it. Also I have to tell that while All actors do remarkable job, the on screen portrayal of Julia Child and her husband Paul are BEYOND REMARKABLE! I never have enough of them. I learned a new trick to just watch one story line at the time from the beginning to the end and I just skip/fast forward over the other as needed. That way it feels like two movies and depending on my mood I choose accordingly. The DVD is fabulous, the menu is good and the playback is faultless. I truly recommend this Film and this DVD version. MUST HAVE CHICK Movie but in secret I will tell you this - My husband love it just the same!

My wife and I decide to buy a film based on how much (at least one of us) likes it and if we’ll watch it at least 3 times. For me, Julie & Julia fits the bill. My wife is not as big a fan. But when Amazon had a good price, I decided to grab it. I’ve already seen it more than 3 times and do enjoy, but will have to admit, I much prefer the Julia to the Julie side of the story. Let’s face it, Meryl is one of the greatest of all time. The story here unfolds as a back and forth between the life of Julia Childs and her husband during their years in France, then back in the states. She’s pre-well, herself. That world famous chef has not been found yet. She finds herself here, in this story as she needs to find ways to stay busy. As she loves to eat - and where better to eat than France - she decides to learn to cook... and a legend is born. The relationship with Paul Childs, her loving husband, is the charming element here - these two actors are on point and are so worth the time (and money) alone! The Julie side... okay, I will never knock the hard work of actors, writers, directors... I can’t get into this side of things as much. The idea is she too needs a way to spend her time, decides to make all of Julia Child’s recipes, and deals with life post-9/11. Not my cup of tea, but still, part of the film. In the end, my wife and I love the time together watching a movie - it’s one of our favorite date night activities. And Julie & Julia is a nice way to do that. Yep, I’m more likely to end up watching alone (she likes the Julie side even less than I do), but when we do enjoy, it’s a nice, charming, sweet movie... and spending time with Julie Childs is a nice trip...

I absolutely LOVE this movie. Meryl Streep never ceases to just blow my mind. She is one of the best actress’s ever if you ask me. Amy did not disappoint either, she is an outstanding actress as well and she nails it in this cute movie about Julia Childs and her cooking, the impact it made on a younger girl. Beautiful story, plenty of laughs and tears leaving you with a warm fuzzy feeling inside. Watch it!

I like this movie. I learned a lot about Julia Childs. I just wish that she had been nicer to the Julia who was doing the blog. That part was disappointing.

DVDを開封した瞬間、レシピが入っていて料理好きの私の心がトキメキ、早く見たいと心が踊りました。年代は、違えど二人の主人公が織り成す姿が絶妙な映画です。夫の仕事の関係でアメリカからフランスに渡ったJuliaは、専業主婦でしたが食べる事が一番好きが高じた事とフランス料理に魅了され本屋等で英語版フランス料理の料理本を探しますがレシピ集が無い事も重なり、彼女は、一から料理を学び誰よりも努力をしました。私もウエイターが取り分けた舌平目のムニエルを食して見たいと思いました。（←余談）そして二人のアメリカ人の三人で英語版のフランス料理のレシピ集を手掛けるのです。私は、1960代のフランスの本屋さんの映像や風景を観て、素敵過ぎて又々心がときめきました。又、彼女の明るさやパワーに圧倒されました。そして、又、料理のレシピに記載する分量の大切さやその重要性等の重みも感じました。時は、2002年のニューヨークに住み始めたJulieは、料理作りが高じて冴えない日々の仕事の反動でJuliaの1kgも有る分厚レシピ集の中から365日で524の料理を作る計画をし、小さなキッチンで料理を作りブログを始めました。そのブログは、喜怒哀楽有りのブログで正直に記載された、偽りの無いブログで私は、感銘を受けました。映画監督がNoraなので以前の彼女の映画とリンクする所が有り有りですが、女性ならではの監督の映画かと思いました。この作品は、偽りの無い心がときめく映画です。

One of writer/director Nora Ephron's best films, this charming movie, as it proclaims itself, is based on two true stories, the first being of legendary chef Julia Child's journey in post-WWII Paris to become not just a master cook, but the co-author of one of the great cookbooks of all time, and then the television star so many of us grew up watching. The second part of the tale is set in New York City, post-9/11, where wannabe writer Julie Powell, with her husband Eric's help, comes up with a plan to cook her way through Julia's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking", giving herself one year to make all 524 recipes in the cookbook, and write about her experience in a blog. The stories are wonderfully interwoven and beautifully photographed, with clever writing and stellar performances from all the cast, with a special shout out to Meryl Streep who rises to the challenge of playing the iconic and well-loved Julia Child with her usual acting brilliance. The best part of this particular DVD is that it comes with a bonus "cookbook" (read "booklet") containing 30 recipes from the original cookbook written by Julia Child, Simone Beck, and Louisette Bertholle -- including the culinary star of "Julie & Julia", Boeuf Bourguigion. This is a most welcome complement to the DVD, because the beautiful French dishes prepared in the film often look so delicious that they become scene-stealers. So much so, that one can feel fired up to make some of the recipes oneself. This is exactly what happened with my husband, who initially was just being sweet when he joined me to watch "Julie & Julia". By the end of the film, he was so motivated to try making Boeuf Bourguigion, that he was out shopping the next morning for all the ingredients, and served up a Boeuf that night which certainly did Julia proud! I can't promise that everyone will be so lucky to have a spouse or other family member become so inspired, but I will go so far as to say that the odds are in your favor. Regarding the specs of the DVD, this is the PAL version, and includes a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film, along what is now bittersweet commentary from Nora Ephron, who sadly passed away in 2012, three years after she made this magical film. The photo of the DVD and bonus booklet is pretty accurate as far as size goes. I mention this only because I had it in my head that the book would be a hardcover, and possibly bigger than the DVD package. Happily, its small size is great for slipping into a handbag or pocket and taking to the market. All in all, one of the best DVD purchases I've made in a while.

Je l'ai vu 4 fois et je recommencerai. Un film original, superbe. Meryl Streep au sommet de son art(RegardeR SVP la version original sous-titrée en français pour apprécier le talent de Mme Streep, avec sa vraie voix imitant parfaitement le ton de Julia Child). Regarder sur Youtube la vraie Julia Child pour entendre sa voix et apprécier la justesse de l'interprétation de Meryl. Une femme admiratrice de la prémière Cordon Bleue americaine diplômée en France qui introduit la cuisine française en Amerique, créant un blog pour raconter le défi insensé qu'elle c'était lancé:en une année cuisiner les 524 recettes du livre de l'auteure americaine dont elle est fan. Son blog devenu 3ème du net devient un livre et le livre un film. Elles ont 60 ans de décalage, et Julia Child n'a pas pu voir le film , car elle est morte en 2002 à l'âge de 92 ans.Elles ne se sont jamais rencontrées , et pourtant ...... Un livre sur le plaisir de cuisiner et le plaisir de la vie. Un film qui laisse une sensation d'agréable légèreté ,d'optimisme et d'envie de se mettre aux fournaux et de mijoter des petits plats comme autrefois le faisait ce personnage attachant dont j'ignorait l'existance. Il y a un certain parallelisme entre la vie de deux femmes, les 2 cherchent un but, sont mariées et heureuses en couple et sont éperdument amoureuses de leurs conjoints.Elles aiment la cuisine et la vie de famille. Les 2 époux jouent un rôle capital dans leurs vies,car sans eux ,elles ne seraient peut-être pas arrivées. Les relations des 2 couples et leurs tendres complicités mettent du baume à l'âme.Ils sont là à l'écoute, amicaux et disponibles. Ils réprésentent le mari idéal. Stanley Tucci et Chris Messina campent les 2 maris idéaux avec une justesse touchante. Un film optimiste, original, constructif,stimulant, parfaitement réalisé, qui vous laisse quelque chose de positif. En ce qui me concerne,j'ai appris à réussir une mayonaise(jamais réussie auparavant), à cuire les champignons , et pas plus tard qu'à Noël je vais désosser un canard pour le faire en croûte(dès que je recevrai les livres de Julia Child). Et sans y penser je me suis surprise à préparer des petits plats jamais cuisinés avant. J'aime cuisiner, mais Julie et Julia m'a insufflée par une sorte d'étrange alchimie un peu de leur passion gastronomique. Une délicieuse Amy Adams donne vie à Julie Powell, une femme qui mène une vie ordinaire,touchée par la Fée du destin à la recherche des talents ,devenue une star grâce à un blog où elle raconte sa passion pour la cuisine et son admiration sans bornes par une femme extraordinaire. J'aime les belles histoires ,comme celle-ci où la vie réelle prend des allures de contes des fées, ELLES SONT LE BEURRE DE MON PAIN ET LE SOUFFLE DE MA VIE.(....!!.) J'aime les histoires vraies qui finissent bien.......et vous?

Julia Child liebte das Leben leidenschaftlich. So beschreibt Meryl Streep die von ihr dargestellte Figur in der hinreißenden Komödie. Diese Lebensfreude, diese Hingabe beim Kochen und in der Partnerschaft, das sind die Zutaten in diesem Film, die ansteckend wirken. Da ist einmal die fast dreißigjährige Julia Powell, die irgendwie in der Krise steckt und ihrem Leben mit dem "Julie/Julia-Projekt" neue Würze gibt. Ihre Erfahrungen kann man in dem autobiografischen Roman " Julie & Julia: 365 Tage, 524 Rezepte und 1 winzige Küche " nachlesen. Dieses Buch und die Erfahrungen der großen Julia Child, die sie in " My Life in France " schildert, hat Nora Ephron in ihrem Film vereinigt und jeweils das Beste daraus ausgewählt, um die Zuschauer zu verwöhnen und die Lachmuskeln zu strapazieren. Bon appétit! Zwei Frauen sind unterwegs zu einem neuen Zuhause. Julia und Paul Child beziehen eine großartige Wohnung mitten in Paris, aber während die Amerikanerin von Frankreich verzaubert ist, beäugt Julie Powell (Amy Adams) ihr neues Heim im Stadtteil Queens ziemlich misstrauisch. 50 Jahre trennen diese Neuanfänge, aber bald wird Julie die Verbindung zu der Geschichte der Childs herstellen. Die Verwaltungsangestellte braucht dringend eine neue Herausforderung. Ermuntert durch ihren Mann Erik richtet sie sich einen eigenen Blog ein und wagt ein riskantes Projekt. Als Verehrerin der Kochkunst von Julia Child, die den Amerikanern die französische Küche und damit die Butter in die Haushalte zurück brachte, hat sie sich vorgenommen, während eines Jahres sämtliche Rezepte in dem seitenstarken Kochbuch der Meisterin auszuprobieren und ihre Erlebnisse den Internetnutzern aktuell mitzuteilen. So isst sie zum allerersten Mal in ihrem Leben ein Ei und zwar eines, welches sie noch selbst zubereitet hat. Auch Julia Child hat mal bescheiden angefangen. Sie ist eine begeisterte Genießerin der französischen Küche, aber Kochbücher auf amerikanisch kann sie leider nicht finden. Auf der Suche nach einer Beschäftigung wurde die Gattin des charmanten Angestellten bei der Botschaft schließlich auf die hiesige Kochschule aufmerksam. Nach anfänglichen Schwierigkeiten bei der Technik des Zwiebelschneidens erringt sie schließlich die Anerkennung des Chefkochs im Profikurses der berühmten Schule. Nachdem sie die Bekanntschaft mit zwei reizenden Französinnen gemacht hat, die ein Kochbuch verfassen wollen, nimmt ihr Kochprojekt wissenschaftliche Formen an. Doch es sollen noch Jahre vergehen, bis das ehrgeizige Machwerk für dienstbotenlose Amerikanerinnen auf den Markt kommt. Julie Powell wird sich schließlich mutig daran die Zähne ausbeißen, ihren Magen und den ihres Mannes quälen und lange Stunden in der Küche zu bringen. Doch nach vielen Stücken Butter und vielen Rezeptseiten bekommt Julie ein sagenhaftes Angebot. Eine renommierte Zeitung ist auf ihren Blog aufmerksam geworden und möchte ein Interview. Ist die Hingabe an das Kochen für Julie das Karrierebrett, so wie für ihr großes Vorbild Julia Child? In wunderschönen satten Farben werden die Schauspieler und natürlich auch die leckeren Speisen dem Zuschauer serviert. Die Liebesgeschichte zwischen Julia Child und ihrem Mann Paul war etwas außergewöhnlich und der Film setzt an dem Zeitpunkt ein, als sie als Ehepaar in Paris ihre Zweisamkeit genießen und an dem gemeinsamen Kochprojekt immer enger zusammen rücken. Die häufigen Versetzungen Pauls, der seinen Vorgesetzten durch seine kritische Haltung und seiner unpassenden Kriegsvergangenheit unangenehm ist, belasten die Beziehung nicht, sondern schweißen sie noch enger zusammen. Julie und Erik Powell führen dagegen eine Beziehung, die durch die modernen Konflikte gezeichnet ist. Doch wie Paul genießt auch Erik die Kochkünste seiner Frau, auch wenn sein Magen darunter leiden muss. Julie ist reizbarer und längst nicht so lebensfroh wie Julia und Erik fehlt der amüsierte Charme von Paul, aber auch dieses Paar wächst durch das Kochprojekt zusammen. Man sollte sich nach dem Film unbedingt das Extra "Geheime Zutaten: die Entstehung von Julie&Julia" gönnen, in der nicht nur die echte Julie Powell zu Wort kommt, sondern auch alle diejenigen, die zur Entstehung und Verwirklichung des Filmergebnisses beteiligt waren. Wir erfahren, dass Meryl Steep während der Dreharbeiten ganze sieben Kilo zugenommen hat, die sie sich in den darauf folgenden 1 œ Jahren wieder mühsam abhungern musste. Sie hat auch Stanley Tucci für die Rolle des Paul Child vorgeschlagen, was sich als Glückgriff herausstellte. Seine humorvolle Art trägt sehr zu der witzigen Stimmung ds Filmes bei, der nicht durch absichtlich platzierte Witze, sondern durch seinen hintergründigen Humor besticht. Die Geschichte der Childs stiehlt dem modernen Paar Powell ein wenig die Show, dabei gibt sich die süße Amy Adams alle Mühe, die Darstellung von Meryl Streep zu ergänzen. Es ist wirklich ihr Verdienst, dass die beiden Geschichten am Ende doch noch ein harmonisches Ganzes bilden. Wer also einmal wieder von Herzen lachen möchte und sich für das Kochen begeistern kann, der wird diese Komödie genießen.

OK. Perfect.