I missed this when it went up, but the EMD metacritical roundup, w/ totes lollercopters illo to left*, pointed to the Gourmet review, penned by none other than Laura Shapiro, author of the second best bio** of Julia Child. If the FILM EVENT OF THE SUMMER*** involves two books about a woman you wrote a bio of, and neither of them is yours, leaving you scuffling for the dubloons Reichl throws from the Gourmet float, you might could be a little bitter. Shapiro does not disappoint:
The idea of Powell as a contemporary heir to this personal
and culinary epic is absurd. Nothing in her relation to the kitchen offers the
slightest hint that she has learned anything at all from her heroine. In the
film, Adams tackles each recipe as if it’s her opponent on a battlefield and
the only point of cooking is victory. If the dish comes out well, she glows; if
it fails, she throws a tantrum. Watching tapes of The French Chef (splendidly
recreated with Streep as the 1960s Julia), her sole reaction to the sight of a
genuine master at work is to coo, “She’s so adorable.” This is a journey of
self-discovery? At the end, she visits the Julia Child kitchen exhibit at the
Smithsonian, and her husband takes a picture of her mugging at a portrait of
Julia (i.e. Streep). It’s completely unbearable. Bring a book and a penlight
for the Powell half of this movie. But the Julia half? Vaut le voyage, and I
can’t wait to go back a third time.
*And who knew William H. Macy was in the foie gras business now?
**This one is the best.
***Which is to say Film Event of the Summer not involving a chewtoy for men.
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