With the temperature hovering near the 100 degree mark, there was very little that you could do outside today without risking your life. Anyone who knows anything about St. Louis weather knows that the summer heat comes with a huge helping of summer humidity. Today that heat and humidity were delivered on stiff southerly winds so the discomfort factor was even greater. So, what do you do to entertain yourself while these conditions persist? Swimming is a possibility but we really didn't feel like that. A nap in a favorite chair was an inviting thought but I do like to sleep at night and a nap would certainly diminish the possibility of an all night sleep. Nothing on television despite the fact that we have at least 1,000 channels! How bout a movie? Now there's an idea. Haven't been to one since January of this year.
Joan has been talking about one that was released yesterday called, "Julie & Julia." Now guys, upon hearing a title such as this you certainly know the internal reaction you get. You want to retreat from the world at that moment. "Oh no," you tell yourself. "A chic flick!" You work up a smile and try to sound enthusiastic about sitting through two hours of sniffling female audience members, Kleenex in hand, with their male partners next to them wondering what all the fuss is about, checking their watches in the dark about every two minutes, gauging just when this test of endurance might come to an end. Such was my position! But, on an afternoon when temperatures reveled those found on the equator, I figured it was the best idea put forth. So, off to the theatre we went.
For the first time in a very long time, the theatre in which the movie was shown was crowded. We had to sit fairly close to the front row due to our late departure from home. But we weren't too close so as to make our eyes feel like they were about to pop out of our heads.
Nowadays, when you go to a movie, it is mandatory that you must endure what seems to be at least an hours worth of coming attractions sprinkled with "Turn off your cell phones" and "Stash the trash in the right receptacle" messages. The show was scheduled to begin at 4:15. The previews did at least. The movie itself got underway at about 4:30.
"Here we go!" I thought to myself as the Columbia studios logo appeared on the screen. "Wonder what time it is?" Now I must admit that the movie did have a fighting chance simply because the star of the show was Meryl Streep. She can do about anything with 100% credibility. The movie was the story of two women living in different periods of history. There was Julia Child who was a famous chef who became that way teaching American women how to cook French dishes. Her story started out in 1948 in Paris. Interspersed with her story was the contemporary story of a young woman named Julie who loved to cook and became a huge fan of Ms. Child.
To my pleasant surprise and relief, the story was well told and there was a great deal of humor. Meryl Streep has the uncanny knack of nailing the body language and gestures of people and you could have sworn that she was Julia Child. She had her mannerisms down pat. Her voice and inflection were amazing. Stanley Tucci as her husband was remarkably good as well. He is one of those actors that gets little acclaim but can act better than 99% of the rest of the field. Amy Adams was engaging as Julie. Her story, the lesser known of the two, was funny, touching, and almost inspirational.
To show you how good the movie was, I only checked my watch once and that was due to the fact that I had to use the Little Director's Room and didn't know if I could wait till the film was over. I was able to make for those of you who might be concerned!!
All in all, "Julie & Julia" was very entertaining. It was a light comedy that helped take your mind off the world's affairs for a couple of hours. The cast was great and they all looked as though they were having a great time. It was a wonderful way to spend a hot summer afternoon in St. Louis. I would heartily recommend the film to everyone (both genders included)! You never know where the next surprise is coming from!
