6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.2 |
A culinary legend provides a frustrated office worker with a new recipe for life in Julie & Julia, the true stories of how Julia Child's life and cookbook inspired fledgling writer Julie Powell to whip up 524 recipes in 365 days and introduce a new generation to the magic of French cooking.
Starring: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, Mary Lynn RajskubRomance | 100% |
Comedy | 77% |
Biography | 18% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, French
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
You can never have too much butter.
There's nothing quite as satisfying as a good meal and endearing as the wonderful cook that can
prepare it, turning average ingredients into something of a work of art, a masterpiece of meats,
vegetables, fats, breads, and spices that not only looks beautiful but tastes positively
scrumptious. The old adage that recommends people "eat to live, not live to eat" may be the
most ignored of them all, for food not only sustains the body but it satisfies the soul, relieves
stress, brings people together, and engenders new appreciations for not only cuisine
but those that can so expertly prepare it. In fact, the fascination with food, all its varieties, its
varied tastes, range of nutritional value, and its appearance has created an industry in and of
itself, not only in the food services but in the art of cooking, the ability to turn the bland into
a mouth-watering array of dishes, the wonder of combining everyday ingredients into a chorus of
taste with an
exotic appearance for a stomach- and soul-satisfying experience. The trick, then, lies in the
ability to
create these dishes in one's own home through the shared wisdom of history's most renowned
cooks and without the exorbitant cost of traveling the globe and seeking out the
world's finest chefs. Enter Julia Child, a post World War I American-born globetrotter who in
1961 published
one of the most widely-read cookbooks of all time, Mastering the Art of French Cooking,
and in 1963 appeared as the host of the award-winning television program "The French Chef,"
both of which have inspired millions to forego the ordinary and whip up the extraordinary in
kitchens
around the world.
This is Julia Child...Bon appétit!
Julie & Julia cooks up a visual tour de force 1080p, 185:1-framed transfer that's as perfect as a freshly-baked Boeuf à la Bourguignonne. The transfer exhibits tremendous depth in every scene where detail -- far, wide, near, and everywhere in between -- is to die for. The film's exterior French locales positively sparkle. Building façades and paved roads are awash in palpable textures; each leaf on a vine growing around Julia's home as seen near the beginning of the film is sharp and intricately detailed, every leaf an individual and each with its own identifiable shape, texture, and edging; a Parisian subway station appears appropriately cold and reveals plenty of fine detail on the cement floor, wall tiles, and various posters hanging about; and an outdoor farmer's market as seen in chapter three comes alive like few scenes before it, awash in depth and detail throughout the frame and sparkling through a broad array of colors that jump straight off the screen. Color reproduction is impeccable throughout; interiors take on a slightly warm tone but are nevertheless handsomely reproduced. Flesh tones are natural, blacks impeccable, and the image is rounded out by a pleasantly thin veneer of film grain that rounds out a pitch-perfect and film-like transfer.
Julie & Julia simmers on Blu-ray with a reserved yet appealing and tasty DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. It should come as no surprise that Julia & Julia's soundtrack isn't of the same sort as that found on a Terminator Salvation or Star Trek, but the presentation is no less clear or faithful to the source. The track delivers plenty of fantastic atmospherics in both the Paris and New York segments; slight blowing winds, pedestrian footsteps and chatter, honking horns, and squealing brakes bring each big city environment to wholesome sonic life with a delicate yet palpable rear-channel presence. Music is light and fluffy, like a perfectly-baked cake. Sweet, delicious, and easy on the way down, it flows effortlessly from the speakers and makes for a pleasant, crystal-clear listen. In addition, dialogue is clear as a bell, and Meryl Streep's whimsical speech patterns in particular are perfectly clear and intelligible. Though not the stuff that's going to stretch a sound system to its limits, Julie & Julia's lossless DTS track is just as appetizing in its own way.
Julie & Julia serves up several fantastic extras, the collection headlined by a commentary
track
with Writer/Director Nora Ephron. She discusses the importance of making the food appear as
delicious on-screen as it tastes in real life, the contrast between post-war Paris and modern day
Queens, set design, the challenge of incorporating two books and two stories into the film, and
much more. The track features plenty
of stretches of dead air, but fans will find enough goodness inside to make it a worthwhile listen.
Secret Ingredients: Creating 'Julie & Julia' (1080p, 27:44) is a solid making-of piece that
looks at the inspirations for the film, what makes the stories memorable and worthwhile, the
strengths of the cast and crew and the performances of the actors and how they connect to their
real-life counterparts, the histories of the real-life influences, eating on-set, food preparation,
sets, and more. Family & Friends Remember Julia Child (1080p, 47:39) contains a
collection of interviewees speaking on the cooking legend, intercut with a plethora of historical
photographs.
Julia's Kitchen (1080p, 22:31) looks at Child's kitchen as found at the Smithsonian and
the process of transferring it to the museum. The piece also takes viewers on a fascinating tour
of
the kitchen. Next is Cooking Lessons (1080i), a collection of five segments that feature
Julia Child or others demonstrating how to cook various items as
seen in the film. Pieces include Poaching Eggs with Julia Child & Jacques Pépin (4:14),
Making Hollandaise Sauce with Julia Child & Jacques Pépin (2:38), Mark Peel Prepares
Scrambled Eggs (4:50), Suzanne Goin Prepares Braised Beef Short Ribs (5:44), and
Steven Lewandowski & Drew Nieporent Prepare Butter Poached Maine Lobster (5:26).
Sony's "MovieIQ" feature that offers live, up-to-date details about every
scene, including cast and crew filmographies and biographies, soundtrack listings, and more, is
available, and as an added bonus, the extra allows viewers to collect various Julia Child recipes as
seen
throughout the film. After entering a valid e-mail address, users are prompted to press the
"green" button on the remote control when the "recipe" icon appears over the film to have the
recipe for the corresponding dish sent to the user via e-mail.
Also included is BD-Live functionality and 1080p trailers for Angels & Demons,
Michael Jackson's This is
It, Coco Before Chanel, An Education, Every Little Step, Whatever Works,
Bewitched, The Holiday, Made of Honor, and
Damages: Season
One.
Julie & Julia is a superb film in every regard and worthy of several Oscars, including a Best Picture nomination. Meryl Streep seems a shoe-in for the Best Actress Oscar, too, but regardless of any potential wins or nominations, Julie & Julia is filmmaking at its sweetest, a tantalizing feast of moviemaking goodness sure to satisfy even the strongest of appetites. With a pair of fascinating tales, a breezy and fun script, steady direction, and wonderful performances, Julie & Julia is a wonderful little delicacy of a film that's not to be missed. Sony once again delivers an appetizing Blu-ray that offers up a pitch-perfect 1080p transfer, an excellent lossless soundtrack, and a few good extras. Julie & Julia comes highly recommended. Bon appétit!
10th Anniversary Edition
2006
2007
Includes "The Shop Around the Corner" on DVD
1998
2009
Extended Cut
2008
2003
2010
1995
2010
Movie Only Edition
2011
2008
2012
2009
2003
25th Anniversary Edition
1993
1947
2009
1953
2006
1998