Julie & Julia

Today I did something I haven't done in about 2 years. I went to the movies to see Julie & Julia. I rarely go to the cinema. The last movie I saw at the movie theatre was Over the Hedge...and that had to do with food too. I see a pattern here. Anyway, I couldn't resist a film about Julia Child, food, and blogging so I decided to go. I'm glad I did. It was a wonderful film based on not one, but 2 true stories, both turned into memoirs: My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme and Julie and Julia by Julie Powell. The movie is divided into 2 overlapping sections. One is the story of Julia Child from when she and her husband move to Paris until her book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, is published. The other is the story of Julie Powell, a woman floundering until she decided to make every recipe in the aforementioned French cookbook and blog about it. It's a story about the journey of both women, and it's a story about food. I say "Brava" especially to Meryl Streep for her performance as Julia Child. Julia was a person who was larger than life and it would have been very easy to make her into a caricature, but Meryl Streep didn't fall into that trap. The character was played with gusto, and with love. For those unfamiliar with Julia Child, her portrayal made it easy to see why Julie so admired the woman. The movie is, at times, laugh out loud funny...and I wasn't the only one to think so, the whole theatre burst out laughing many times. There was also a good turnout-I'd say there were about 50 people for that Monday 12:40 matinee. I highly recommend this film, but I think the comment I overheard as people were leaving gives the highest credit, "I want to go home and cook". Bon Appetit!