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Julie & Julia

Sep 5, 2009
By .
Effluvia

One of the most difficult questions that any couple must face is this — if you like the chick flick your wife dragged you to, or the guy flick your husband dragged you to, do you still earn guy flick/chick flick points, redeemable later to force your own choice of movie?

Previously Katrina's firm answer has been yes. She liked Star Trek very much this summer, but remained resolute that it was a guy flick and therefore earned her points she could spend later to drag me to some movie with relationships and no explosions whatsoever.

She may reconsider after tonight, because I liked Julie & Julia very much, and she probably doesn't want me to earn chick flick points for having seen it.

It's unquestionably a chick flick. But it's well written and witty throughout, and the performances are uniformly quite good — particularly Meryl Streep (whose imitation is uncanny) and Stanley Tucci. The plot, while "high concept," is not contrived, and the two story threads are woven skillfully. And the food looks delicious.

Last 5 posts by Ken

4 Comments
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4 Comments

  1. laiq  •  Sep 6, 2009 @12:59 pm

    Stanley Tucci is always amazing. One of the best supporting actors around, I think.

  2. PLW  •  Sep 7, 2009 @7:16 am

    I'd say everyone should continue to get points. Otherwise you create an incentive to lie about how much you enjoy a movie, and so everyone loses, because one of the best things about a good movie is getting to talk with each other about how great the movie was and why.

    After all, isn't (some of) the point of the system that you each really believe the other would like your own preferred genre if they gave them a chance. You enjoy it, she's right, and y'all can talk about it together: Win-Win-Win.

  3. Don C  •  Sep 8, 2009 @9:06 am

    I could not agree more. I thought it was fabulous, and I am glad you pointed out Tucci's performance, which is quite nuanced. You generally think highly of the couple that was the real Mr. & Mrs. Childs because of both performances….

  4. Eduardo  •  Sep 8, 2009 @9:29 am

    I was dragged to this as well. I ended up hating the Julie story but adoring the Julia Child stuff. I wish that had been the whole movie.