Four Months Without Me, Or, Julie/Julia

So, uhm...it's been a while. What's my excuse for neglecting G//P for, oh, FOUR MONTHS!? This little thing called Life got in the way.

What was that...? OH! I know! It was a shock to me too! I. Have. A. Life. Yup. Been travelin' and attendin' soirees an' practicin' musical instruments and seein' movies. Aren't I all full o' culture?

Speaking of seeing movies, I saw this little film on Friday night called Julie & Julia. Perhaps you've heard of it? [Nice transition, right?] I didn't follow the Julie/Julia Project blog when Julie Powell was writing it. She began on August 25, 2002 and made it through all of Julia Child's recipes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year -- an impressive feat. And she wrote about it. And got a book deal. And a movie. Wow.

So what did I think of the movie?

It was a good, solid movie. Glad I saw it, probably worth the $10 admission, but I don't think I'll be buying it on DVD. It really built Julia Child up to god-like status, which she probably deserves. She was an incredible woman with amazing personality and talents.

Julie Powell was convinced Julia could do no wrong, and Julia was portrayed as such. The movie emphasized Julie a bit more than Julia, but I think that was appropriate [yet not necessarily desirable]. Julie was a needy, whiny brat of a woman, although still somehow likeable. Julia was bold, confident, and awesome, so, well, they were nothing alike. I like how timing was handled -- with Julia's life as she began cooking up to her book deal, and Julie's parallel experience. Both stories end kind of abruptly though. Possible SPOILER: I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. I get it, I really do. And I know that's sort of how the real story ended. But seriously? This movie was not about subtlety, and that's how they end it?! I'll give it 3 out of 5 stars. It was a good food movie, although it really wasn't about the food. I was hoping for more food.

I did take a look at the original blog that Julie Powell wrote, thinking it would be fun to read it through. Not happening. I, without a doubt, HATE it. I have no desire to read through. It's laden with profanity, whining, and political gripes. I NEVER would have followed the project because I just can't stand the real Julie Powell. Kind of unfortunate, really.