Julie & Julia (2009)

A very pleasant picture serving two distinct dishes made from the delicate but delicious-if-done-right recipe of relationships, ambition, and personal passion. The cast is excellent (though Streep is the clear star with her hilarious and effortlessly charming Julia) and the multi-faceted writing is well-balanced (the letter/blog voiceovers add a wonderful warm butter-like flavour to savour throughout), with Eric’s sudden departure and the “Julia hates me” thread left hanging the only missteps.

7

Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (2020)

It’s a little messy and all-over-the-place but so are hyenas and heartbreak and Harley herself, so it all kinda works. The film does well to present its protagonist with all her charming quirks and real imperfections, and the only non-gore related cringe comes from the supersonic scream (a weird moment in what is otherwise more a wacky crime flick than a superhero one). Always engaging, with great action and a colourful cast of characters (The Huntress was a definite comedic highlight).

6