Julie & Julia
2009 · Directed by Nora Ephron
Original language: English
- romance
- drama
The story
Julia Child and Julie Powell – both of whom wrote memoirs – find their lives intertwined. Though separated by time and space, both women are at loose ends... until they discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible.
What it’s like
Sunny, butter-yellow kitchens in postwar Paris sit against cramped, grey-blue Queens apartments in the early 2000s, and the film cuts between the two with the easy rhythm of a well-turned recipe. Julia Child's scenes glow with warm lamplight, copper pans, and wide, bright frames of markets and stoves, while Julie's rooms feel tight and lived-in, lit by a laptop screen and a window that never quite lets in enough sun. Jazzy French pop and gentle piano keep the mood buoyant, with comic timing that often lands in the middle of a cooking montage. The vibe is warm, witty and quietly wistful, with a little melancholy from the 9/11 backdrop. Intensity is low: there's some strong language, brief adult humour and frank talk about love, but no violence and no gore. Its arcs follow two women finding purpose through persistence and appetite, and it suits a rainy Sunday, a comfort rewatch, or an evening when you want to feel hungry and hopeful. It's for people who love food films, lighthearted romance, and stories about starting over later than expected.
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