It’s well known that women will accompany their husbands and boyfriends to see such testosterone-filled fare as Transformers and Star Trek….but it’s just as well known that men don’t return the favor when it comes to what are disparagingly called “chick flicks.”
Sony has worked hard to promote Julie and Julia as a "relationship" film . . . and, yes, the two husbands in the film played by Stanley Tucci and Chris Messina are prominent characters. But there’s no way around it—Julie & Julia is aimed at, and will appeal largely to a female audience. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
As a “chick flick,” Julie and Julia rates pretty high, thanks in large part to Nora Ephron’s delightful script and lots of yummy looking food. But the real appeal (no surprises here) is Meryl Streep, who once again proves that she is an incomparable screen star. Her portrayal of Julia Child is both spot-on and hilarious. Amy Adams does a good job in the less flamboyant role of Julie Powell who finds meaning in her life by cooking her way through Julia Child’s famous cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year. But every moment that Streep is on screen is pure joy. Her delivery, her comic timing and her chemistry with co-star Stanley Tucci (also her co-star in The Devil wears Prada) . . . all are sublime. It’s a performance that deserves to be seen by everybody, male and female alike.
