Premium Content:

Review | 'Julia' celebrates food, love and the life of Julia Child

Julia | Dir: Julie Cohen & Betsy West | ★ ★ ★ ★ 

- Advertisement -

Julie Cohen and Betsy West who directed RBG, the 2019 documentary about legendary American Supreme Court judge Ruth Bader Ginsberg, have found another dynamic force that wouldn’t be silenced. Their documentary tells the story of Julia Child – the famous cookbook author and television superstar.

From a wealthy American family, Julia escaped her conservative family and the pressure to get married by helping the World War II effort, and was posted to the Office of Strategic Services (later known as the CIA) in Ceylon. It was there that she met Paul, who was then posted to France after they had married.

The film recreates Julia’s first meal in France – sole meunière which is a delicate white fish cooked in butter (lots of butter), and served with a simple salad on the side. It was love at first bite and she enrolled in the famous Le Cordon Bleu Cooking School, where she was the only female because at that time women were thought to be incapable of holding heavy pots and utensils.

However Julia was an imposing figure, being 6’ 2” inches in height with a strident voice and outlandish sense of humour. She co-wrote Mastering the Art of French Cooking (published in 1961 and selling 2.5 million copies) and her television cooking program, debuting in 1963, showed American women a love of cooking that didn’t involve canned or frozen food.

Early archival footage, interviews, personal photographs (taken by her husband Paul who was a talented photographer), diaries and letters reveal Julia to be a warm and entertaining person who didn’t slow down as she aged. Still appearing on television in her eighties, this first celebrity chef established the joys of ‘food culture’.

The delightful and deeply personal documentary also shows how, with the support of her dedicated husband, Julia evolved as a person to break away from her staunchly conservative upbringing to support Planned Parenthood and raise awareness for AIDS.

Lezly Herbert


You can support our work by subscribing to our Patreon
or contributing to our GoFundMe campaign.

 

Latest

UK Reform leader Nigel Farage says gay marriage is “wrong”

Farage says the issue is now settled, but restated he's never been a supporter of same-sex couples being allowed to marry.

Barn Dance is heading to a Gold Rush

Tickets to Perth's big night of boot scooting and bandanas are now on sale.

Now You Know: Five quick news stories

A gay classic turned into a ballet, a country music star, arrests in China, a new leader for Mardi Gras, and coming out in the AFL.

Actor Julian McMahon dies aged 56 after private cancer battle

The actor first found success on 'Home and Away' before hitting the international stage.

Newsletter

Don't miss

UK Reform leader Nigel Farage says gay marriage is “wrong”

Farage says the issue is now settled, but restated he's never been a supporter of same-sex couples being allowed to marry.

Barn Dance is heading to a Gold Rush

Tickets to Perth's big night of boot scooting and bandanas are now on sale.

Now You Know: Five quick news stories

A gay classic turned into a ballet, a country music star, arrests in China, a new leader for Mardi Gras, and coming out in the AFL.

Actor Julian McMahon dies aged 56 after private cancer battle

The actor first found success on 'Home and Away' before hitting the international stage.

On This Gay Day | Thousands turned out to support marriage equality

Despite pouring rain thousands showed their support for changing the laws.

UK Reform leader Nigel Farage says gay marriage is “wrong”

Farage says the issue is now settled, but restated he's never been a supporter of same-sex couples being allowed to marry.

Barn Dance is heading to a Gold Rush

Tickets to Perth's big night of boot scooting and bandanas are now on sale.

Now You Know: Five quick news stories

A gay classic turned into a ballet, a country music star, arrests in China, a new leader for Mardi Gras, and coming out in the AFL.