Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 1:31PM Movie Review - 'Eat Pray Love'
| Eat Pray Love
Starring Julia Roberts 
|
Simply put, Ryan Murphy’s Eat Pray Love is one woman’s journey around in the world in search of spiritual fulfillment through food, Hinduism, and, well, Javier Bardem. So, if there was still any speculation in your mind after the national best-seller and the film’s opening weekend, rest assured, this is a chick flick. This is not to say that men can’t enjoy the film, there are at least five or six laugh-out-loud moments, but be prepared, you might be checking your cell phone to see what time it is half way through.
This subtle adventure stars Julia Roberts, who is charming and sincere as usual. In fact, if anyone could drive this film, it’s her. Her struggle through forgiving herself for her divorce and reclaiming her identity as a single woman is very real and intriguing. This does not, however, entirely make up for the somewhat superfluous characters and scenes that are thrown at her in this modern-day-woman dramedy.
One such character is David Piccolo, a somewhat smarmy “Yogi from Yonkers” played by James Franco. Now, I am never one to deny myself a good Franco spotting, but in this case, the film would have been better (and shorter) without him. Adding nothing to Robert’s character’s struggle but another, less important, lost relationship, it felt as though his inclusion was only for the purpose of adhering to the story of the novel. It was enough to accept that the loss of a marriage would have propelled Liz into a spiral of self-loathing and emotional detachment, for the sake of the film. Would have been, however, if her husband hadn’t been such a nut job. Billy Crudup does a fantastic job of making us laugh at his character’s expense, while drawing sympathy for his sad portrayal of Stephen, but the direction of this character took him so far off the charts at times that it is hard to understand why Liz was so remorseful over her departure from him.
The movie does have an upside, however: The cinematography, primarily in the many eating scenes in Italy, and the wedding shots are absolutely beautiful. Murphy and Cinematographer Robert Richardson actually make your stomach growl, that food looks so good, and the colors that emerge in India, just as Liz is beginning to understand the Hindu practices, acts as an extraordinary visual contributor. With the incredible scenery of each exotic local (especially Bali), and the lovely cast of characters, all in all, this film is really a treat to look at.
Another gift the film gives, in addition to Robert’s exuberance, is a fantastic performance by Richard Jenkins as a recovering alcoholic and recent divorcee. His short journey from a crusty know-it-all to a caring, emotive friend is so on point that it reminds us why we go to the movies.
Unfortunately, Javier Bardem and Julia Roberts fail to muster the degree of romantic chemistry needed to drive the final act of this film. For this reason, the end of Eat Pray Love felt odd and unwarranted, and I wondered if perhaps this recently rehabilitated writer might fall into the same trap that she ran away from at the top of the film. This is not to say, however, that Bardem does not have his moments. He does, and some of them are quite cute, but sadly, his character does not fulfill the needs of the story outlined by the text.
In sum, if you want to cry a little, laugh a little, and leave the theater very hungry, feeling somewhat spiritually bereft, with an insatiable desire to travel to Indonesia, go see Eat Pray Love. If, however, you’d rather wait until the DVD comes out, I wouldn’t blame you. Just make a full five-course meal before you press play.
Reader Comments (12)
It's all good, though. Enjoyed the review and it seems like you more or less share the same sentiments with just about everyone else who has seen the film- it's fairly inessential chick lit fluff, while not without its merits, is a little too inconsequential to be anything remarkable.
I'm sure people who loved the book will love the movie, but that probably can be said for a bunch of chick lit turned movies (<i> Devil Wears Prada </i> among others).
And Elizabeth: Thank you so much!
"...on The Devil Wears Prada..."
"...Streep is incomparable to Roberts..."
Whew! That feels better.