Scrumptious ‘Julie & Julia’

Meryl Streep and Amy Adams play women whose lives are changed by their love of food and cooking in the scrumptious “Julie & Julia,” a film “based on two true stories” and directed by Nora Ephron.

Streep spiritedly plays the giddy Julia Child, whose wildly feelgood charm and tenacity overpower any and all challenges after moving to France with her adoring hubby (Stanley Tucci). Julia’s story is paralleled by Julie Powell’s (Adams), who escapes her emotionally draining job by cooking at home. Julie’s tale happens several decades later, the developments in her life giving a clear, palatable analogy. Both women become adept at the art of preparing food; while Julia adventurously and quite effortlessly masters the intricacies of French cuisine, Julie tasks herself with cooking over 500 of Julia’s recipes in a year, and blogging about it.

Their stories ultimately converge in an unexpected but acceptable manner; a balance is struck nicely by the meaty performances. Streep captivates (no surprise there) with the overly energetic and indefatigable Julia, and Adams is ever-pleasant, even when portraying a relatively toned-down role like Julie. The film deliciously celebrates the women’s growth and triumphs, sating with rich, filling portrayals and tasty biopic-chick flick drama.