If you've kept up with my reviews (let’s pretend you have), you are going to find that the genre I touch most seldom is romance. They are by nature a contagious quagmire of failed puns, roads repaved with familiar plots, and their stars have signed with the devil. Enter Julia Roberts, queen of the romcom. No doubt a talented actress, if not the most famous of her generation, Julia has played a big role in cashing in on the average woman's dream.
In her latest effort Julia plays Liz Gilbert in the autobiographical book turned movie Eat Pray Love. Liz is a writer visiting Bali in search of a wise/toothless medicine man. He reads the palm of her hand and she takes everything to gospel. Leaving behind husband Stephen (Billy Crudup), Liz seeks out new adventure in the form of exotic cuisine, Eastern religion, and male suitors.
Eat Pray Love is directed by Ryan Murphy. Murphy is best known as the creator of Glee, last year's breakout TV show about misfits who triumph through songs. With his name in the mix people are going to be disappointed that Julia and friends don't break out into songs and dance. Even if you consider that Murphy could have interests outside of musicals, you'd expect some sassy dialog exchanges like those seen on the show between the characters Will Schuester and Sue Sylvester. Hate to disappoint you but that's not going to happen either.
This is a story about a self indulged woman who has a great life; loving husband, great job that allows her to travel, is interested in going back to school and she decides it's not enough.
Completely out of the blue she divorces her husband (for no good reason) and she decides she needs to find herself and bitch about a terrible life that 90% of people can only aspire too. Julia Roberts comes off as a daddy's girl who has always gotten what she has wanted and now that daddy's out of the picture she decides she needs to be doted on like a princess, but she comes off as a spoiled bitch whose antics infuriates her friends and doesn't deserve anything she gets.
This was made into a movie because of Oprah who decided to put this book in her book club, which means every house wife in America read this pile of trash and all of them seem to think that it is some great find, it's not. This movie reminds me of a good travel guide documentary that explores the beauty of the world only instead of a smart host who knows when to step aside and just let you enjoy the background and immerse them in the beauty of everything that surrounds them, we get a woman that needs to be center of attention and enough is never enough.
That being said some of the shots are truly beautiful and the food they show in Italy is stunning and makes me want to eat pasta for weeks, but I can get that from the discovery channel so why do I fork out money for something I can get for free at seven in the evening? Julia Roberts does try and save her character with her trademark charm but by that point it's too late and nothing can save this powerfully bad movie.
Apparently this book suffered from "right place, right time" syndrome which lead to it being picked up by Oprah, the movie on the other hand suffers from "endorsed by Oprah, guaranteed audience" syndrome.
I gotta say that the description of this movie didn't appeal to me, and I only saw it because I got a free ticket to a preview.
I gave it a 2 instead of a 1 because a few of the supporting characters sometimes call out Liz (Julia Roberts) on her self-absorbed superficial antics. I liked them (the characters, not the antics).
The movie is too long, but Italy, India, and Bali are showcased nicely (if superficially). I bet Julia Roberts signed on because filming this must have basically been a paid vacation.
The script is pretty bad. Liz complains that one character always seems to talk in bumper stickers, but she should look at her own speech patterns.
I imagine that this movie will be enjoyed by real life casualties of love who believe that they are owed love and fulfillment as an inalienable right. It is a movie that teaches us nothing, provides a warped view of what love and relationships really are and leaves no lasting impressions, save the sweet sounds of fingernails on a blackboard that will leave most movie goers yearning for relief. Read the book and skip the movie.
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