“Julie & Julia”

Sony Pictures

Directed by Nora Ephron

Starring Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina and Mary Lynn Rajskub

Rated PG-13

3 Stars       

Hopefully I’m not breaking any news here, but dang, that Meryl Streep sure can act.

Her latest triumph is “Julie & Julia,” a mixed effort of a film that tells two stories. In the main part, Streep plays Julia Child, the woman who taught America to cook in the early 1960s. The story follows Julia and her husband (Stanley Tucci) during their time living in Paris. It’s here that Julia finds her calling in life, and famously learns to cook.

The second story stars Amy Adams as Julie Powell, a modern woman who’s not at all happy with her life. Sensing a kindred spirit in Julia Child, Julie decides to cook every one of the recipes in Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” She blogs about her cooking experiences, and while I suppose that foodie-fanatics will enjoy these modern sequences, the problem with the movie is that they are completely overshadowed by Meryl Streep and the Paris scenes.

Streep finds just the right pitch to her portrayal of Child, who has been a magnet for parody due to her unique falsetto. Her line delivery is musical but not a caricature. More importantly, she plays Child with a delightfully cheery air, and her joie de vivre is infectious. I’ve never been a big fan of the City of Lights, but “Julie & Julia” makes me want to chuck it all and enroll in a Parisian cooking school.

Director Nora Ephron is known for her romantic comedies, and while “Julie & Julia” might seem to be out of character, it is very much a love letter to Julia Child. Indeed, we even get to see Julia Child as a sexual being—something decidedly shocking for those of us who only know her as the matronly queen of the PBS kitchen. It’s also a valentine to sumptuously photographed food. You may want to catch an early screening of the film so that you have plenty of time to enjoy a fine dinner after it ends.

The Julie Powell, modern day scenes don’t live up to the standard set by Streep and Tucci, so ultimately the movie is a mildly, hit-and-miss affair. “Julie & Julia” is like a magnificent main course with a mediocre side dish, but the main dish will leave you licking your lips for more. I say Bon Appetit!

 Movie reviews by Sean, “The Movie Guy,” are published bi-weekly in “The Port Arthur News” and weekly on KFDM-TV. You can also follow Seanthemovie guy on Twitter. Sean welcomes your comments via email at smcbride@kbcitv.com.