Comer, rezar, amar

Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) is a modern woman with a husband, a job, and a house. Then she divorces her husband. Confused and lost, she sets off on a quest for enlightenment.

Ryan Murphy wrote and directed this film based on the popular book. I don't know if there's anything especially offensive to me (moviewise) in this movie, but I don't find it involving. It feels very bourgeois. And it goes so slowly. She's so full of herself. Julia Roberts just doesn't give a sense of somebody in crisis. Can boredom be a crisis? That's what it seems to be. If there is one movie thing that I object to, it's the narration. There's nothing more boring than being told how unfulfilled you are in narration. It doesn't make the movie any better.

When I read the book last year, I had just lost my job, was looking for a new one and eating everything that was bad for me, so I enjoyed Liz's misery and newfound joys. But now that I'm content, in this new phase of life, I find myself annoyed by people who create their own drama and then whine about it. So I would not have enjoyed the book if I were to read it now. Although everyone does a good job in this film, and the scenery is breathtaking -- now I want to go to Rome!!!-- I really couldn't stand Liz. She has everything but whines about how "I don't even know how to be HERE!" I meet people in my new job who are fighting cancer every day -- they deserve the opportunity to whine (and few do, I might add). But pretty people who have everything and think they deserve more just tick me off. And it was a long painful sit. I do love the men in this movie -- each one of them is so good. And Julia Roberts does what she can with this selfish character. I just don't want to spend any more time with spoiled Liz. The time I spent watching her only ticked me off. I cannot recommend it, unless you're self centered, indulged and rich -- this could be your inspiration. Phoo!

I usually have a tough time with chick flicks, and it was with great chagrin that I learned that the Friday rental of the house would be Eat Pray Love starring (arguably the chick flick queen) Julia Roberts. I thought I would hate it, I expected to see a sappy tear-jerker with Roberts playing her usual character.

Exactly what I got. Roberts almost cruelly and certainly suddenly/without warning leaves her husband (Billy Crudup) to travel the world, visiting Rome to Eat, India to Pray, and Bali to Love. During her adventures she meets Javier Bardem, Richard Jenkins, and many others.

Won't lie, I enjoyed quite a bit of this. A lot of the film is Julia Roberts being Julia Roberts, treading no new ground and playing her usual boring role. But, I suppose, that was the point. The character she plays is boring and normal, and even when she travels across the world Roberts does little to show the changes her character experiences. Can't say I really liked her character, which provided a bizarre feeling for the entirety of the movie. Was I supposed to root for Julia? Who knows.

EPL has some remarkable cinematography that deserves noting. I was surprised it wasn't nodded towards at the Oscars this year; shots of all these countries are beautifully represented. The script lags the most in Rome, but really picks up in India and Bali. As I said, Roberts is an unsympathetic character, but each travel experience brings interesting characters. Richard Jenkins, undoubtedly the most underrated actors ever, shines in his role of Richard from Texas in India. Bardem is good as well, but that's not a surprise. These two are the bright spots here.

If you've seen the trailer you've seen the movie, but if you're not looking for that much I think you'll be as surprised as I was. Worth it for the cinematography and characters. Plus, for that Friday-night chick flick your girlfriend picks out, you could do worse.

I think this was the first Julia Roberts film that I ever hated. I wanted to leave the theater before she left Rome, but was with my wife. After the film I found out she hated it as much as me. We did chat a little and thought it would make wonderful parody film--- picture Will Ferrell as a husband who is fed up and decides to travel to three cities... and visit The New York Yankees; The Dallas Cowboys; and the Los Angeles Lakers, as a way to get in touch with his inner man. Along the way there could be lots of drinking, cheering and preying on women in bars and cheerleaders. My favorite seen in the film was the end photo where it showed her former husband looking happy in his new family!

I loved the book. I thought Julia Roberts as Liz was fantastic casting. The trailer looked awesome. I smiled every time I saw it. Turns out, I loved everything about this movie except the movie.

Long story short, it's all of the arc of the book, without any of the passion. While never horrible, this film simply made me feel nothing.

I found the book soulful, moving, even transformative at times. The greatest emotion I felt from the film was hunger (for Italian pizza), thirst (for Italian wine), and an occasional dizziness due to director Ryan Murphy's apparent recent discovery of how to "pan." It was laughable camera-work throughout the first 45 minutes, and occasionally throughout.

The first 1/2 hour of the film was almost unbearably bad, even though the first section of the book was amongst my favorites. Perhaps someone who did not read the book could enjoy this movie, but I somehow doubt it. One time Liz made a joke, that was a nice break from the feeling of being in a lukewarm bathtub for 2 1/2 hours. Not unpleasant, just meh.

Instead of finding Liz intelligent and thoughtful, she seemed selfish, boring, and obsessed with men. Instead of finding spirituality, she seemed vapid. When the character becomes shallow, a film centered around that character becomes a throw away. Maybe I'll just watch the trailer again.