JULIE & JULIA – Review by Walker Conger (Mentorship Program Critic)
Nora Ephron said in a 2009 NPR interview that she “…learned to cook from that cookbook [Mastering the Art of French Cooking], and, what’s more, became completely infatuated with the person who’d written it.” Food was a very important part of Ephron’s life and her cinematic career, so it’s fitting that her final film would cover a woman and a topic that has been with her nearly her entire life.
The story of Julie & Julia comes from two different, yet connected, memoirs: My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud’homme, and Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell. The film goes back and forth between 1950s Paris, where Julia Child (Meryl Streep) studies at Le Cordon Bleu and ultimately works on a French cookbook for American women, and 2002 New York, when Julie Powell (Amy Adams) starts a blog about cooking all of those 524 recipes in the span of one year in her small apartment. Both performances are wonderful, but Streep truly becomes Julia Child – it’s easy to forget that you’re watching a performance and not the actual Julia Child roaming around France.
Each time the film cuts to Julie in her New York apartment, I get excited to hear what updates she has for us and her blog – how the boeuf bourguignon is going or whether she’s finally mastered deboning a duck. Her trial and error while cooking is interesting to watch, as are the troubles her success and obsession bring to her marriage. And while Julie’s story is more centered around Julia as this guiding figure and the success of her blog, Child’s story includes some very interesting moments outside of the cooking sphere. Her husband, Paul – played by the lovely Stanley Tucci, who in real life also has a strong passion for food – was a diplomat who was investigated for communist ties, which jeopardized their life in Paris. Julia struggled with having to move out of the country, but continued to work on perfecting the cookbook with her partners. Continue reading on THE FEMALE GAZE
ABOUT WALKER CONGER:
Walker Conger is a senior at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, getting a degree in Filmmaking with a concentration in Screenwriting. After UNCSA, she plans on getting her Masters in Archival Studies, where she can continue film education and work in a different format. While she enjoys films from every genre, her favorites are historical pieces, coming-of-age, and thrillers. Walker is an AWFJ/UNCSA Mentorship Program critic under the guidance of Professor Julia Swift.
ABOUT AWFJ/UNCSA MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
The University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) and the Alliance of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) have partnered to launch the AWFJ/UNCSA Mentorship Program, an initiative designed to bridge the gap between academic study and the professional world of film criticism. The program creates a vital pathway for the next generation of cultural commentators to transition into the industry. Its mission is to support aspiring film, television, and streaming reviewers by providing them with a professional platform and direct mentorship from established critics. By connecting UNCSA’s rigorous arts conservatory training with the AWFJ’s extensive journalistic experience, the program seeks to cultivate critics who are not only knowledgeable about cinema but also skilled in the craft of engaging, analytical writing for a broad audience. This collaboration underscores a shared commitment to the future of film criticism, ensuring that emerging talent is nurtured, equipped with practical skills, and given the opportunity to build a professional portfolio before graduation.
