Julie & Julia--It's like butta...

After Sam and I joined the Five Buck Club, we finally made it to the theatre to see this treat and for only $5 (didn’t even think that was possible these days….).

We both read the book before going in and the character of Julie Powell (played by Amy Adams) is a lot more gritty, has a few chips on her shoulder and is all around bitchy on the pages, but on the silver screen, she’s a little bottle of André: so bubbly with a little tart.

For those of you who don’t know, Julie, decides to cook for an entire year through Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking and blogs about each recipe and each disaster along the way. This was back in 2002, when people still received their news from newspapers and watched television shows on the t.v. The blogging aspect was a big deal for Julie as she continually wonders, is anyone reading me?

The film cuts to Julie’s life and Julia Child’s life back in France. We see how Julia Child came to be Julia Child. Watching Meryl Streep take on this role is fantastic. Be prepared to laugh at any and all things that come flying out of this woman’s mouth (bonus points if you can pin her accent, we debated at length, but did not rest on a firm decision).

You see Julie not only struggle with the recipes and the cooking, but also with her life both personal and professional. She uses her blogging and cooking as a therapy for life’s daily frustrations. Imagine working all day then having to come home and prepare some insane French dish, which takes hours to cook, it would make anyone go crazy.

But the film is much more than just cooking and eating and eating and more eating. It’s about doing something you truly want to do. Julia wanted to write a French cookbook for Americans and wasn’t going to stop until it was completed. Julie wanted to be a writer but couldn’t figure out the avenue on how to become one, but found her answer by writing about her passion and hobby (sounds a bit familiar to Sam and I…).

After this movie, you’ll leave full, happy and content; but a part of you can’t help but want seconds.

Bon Appetit!

Sunshine Cleaning 3.21

I don't think this movie could have come out at a better time (with the current state of things). Rose (Amy Adams) is a single mom struggling to stay afloat and take care of her kid, all while battling an affair with married Mac (Steve Zahn). You feel pity for Rose seeing her so attached to someone who's clearly not available. I'm sure most girls out there will relate to these feelings and kick themselves for not kicking the habit (or guy) earlier.

A standout performance is delivered by Nora (Emily Blunt --Devil Wears Prada). Nora, Rose's sister, lives at home with their father, unable to hold down a job and clearly not a fan of her life. I found myself identifying with her throughout the movie...unsure of where exactly you belong in the world and what you're supposed to do with your life.

So Rose proposes the idea of opening a crime scene clean-up operation (enter Sunshine Cleaning) for her and Nora. Seeing these two walk into a trailer, gasping for air and tying shirts around their heads to keep out the putrid fumes was hilarious. I found myself holding my nose in the theatre as if I was standing in this dump with them. While some of the movie is laughs, they clean up after people have died, so it does get a little emotional. Rose and Nora walk into homes to make everything better in others lives while ignoring their own hazardous spills in life.

Managed to cry for the third time in a movie theatre [others were Pearl Harbor (any movie that "kills" off Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett...depressing) and Curly Sue (the envelope scene was just too much!)]. Wasn't full blown crying mind you. Just a few tears trickling down the cheeks. I felt way too involved in this movie.

The movie does have a little feel of Little Miss Sunshine as they share the New Mexico location, same Grandpa (Alan Arkin), same Grandpa/Grandkid relationship and the driving of a van. Other than that, two different messes that clean-up nicely.