The new documentary about Julia Child, simply called Julia is just wonderful.
There are present-day interviews with people who knew Julia well. Some of the footage is archival (some is poor quality which is the biggest weaknesses of the film). But put together there’s a feeling of candidness resulting in an honest portrayal of Julia.
The film recounts Julia’s life from her privileged beginnings to learning to cook in France.
She met her husband during the war effort and then followed him around the world for his job. You can tell they are devoted to each other and it’s a beautiful loyal relationship.
I enjoyed seeing how they filmed early cooking shows (without editing software). The team had some quirky techniques to prepare a dish from start to finish and film it all in one take. It was fascinating to see how Julia’s show developed over the years. It’s hard to believe she found fame in her 50s and took 12 years to complete her first bestselling cookbook, ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’.
Julia trailblazed a path for women in the kitchen and was the first person to have a televised cooking show. She was known best for bringing French cooking techniques and dishes to American households but was hardly known in France.
She wasn’t without her faults but showed intelligence and empathy to evolve with the times. She even changed her own personal views, repaired relationships and stubbornly refused to stop cooking even though she could have easily retired.
Julia is a must-see for anyone who owns her cookbooks or loves cooking (and eating).
Showing in Australian cinemas from 4th November 2021.
About Julia
Julia tells the story of the legendary cookbook author and television superstar who changed the way Americans think about food, television, and even about women. Using never-before-seen archival footage, personal photos, first-person narratives, and cutting-edge, mouth-watering food cinematography, the film traces Julia Child’s surprising path, from her struggles to create and publish the revolutionary Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961) which has sold more than 2.5 million copies to date, to her empowering story of a woman who found fame in her 50s, and her calling as an unlikely television sensation.
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