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SYNOPSIS: Believing
there's more to life than a husband, house and career, Liz
Gilbert finds herself with a new appetite for life in this
inspiring true story based on the bestselling book. She leaves
New York and embarks on a yearlong journey - traveling to
Italy, India and Bali - seeking self-discovery through good
food, meditation and the prospect of finding true love.
MOVIE
REVIEW:
After a recent spate of rather significant events in his life, it has come to this reviewer’s attention that there are quite a lot of people out there who are searching for this elusive thing called The Truth. This often involves individuals who temporarily fall into depression, and go around advocating the idea of traveling the world to seek solace. Does this sound a tad familiar to you?
Yeah, you probably are, or already have faced this phase of life where you are “finding yourself”.
It sounds like a grand idea, but it essentially is about basic human needs, really. Some associate it with age, some associate it with gender, but we are not here to discuss science or psychology. Instead, we are here to explore whether this Ryan Murphy directed movie starring the luminous Julia Roberts is a good resource for individuals when they feel the need to find The Truth.
Based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir, this drama tells the story of a woman who suddenly decides to approach life in an entirely different direction one day, after realizing how unhappy her married life is. So off she goes (after a painful divorce, nonetheless), traveling the world to “find herself”. She visits three locations to eat, pray and love – against gorgeous backdrops of Italy, India and Indonesia, respectively.
And that is exactly what this film is about: Gawking at the picturesque landscapes which the less fortunate can only dream of visiting his dreams. For one, this reviewer has never gone to any of these locations and he was suitably impressed with the grandeur captured by cinematographer Robert Richardson. You’d be awed by the lovely architecture in Rome, Italy. You’d be left in wonderment at the colours showcased in Delhi, India. You’d be calmed by the serenity in Bali, Indonesia. These beautiful locations make this 140 movie feel like a photo album.
Unfortunately, that is the only highlight of the overlong film. Littered with predictable plot developments and uninspired voiceovers, the movie has a sense of detachment and almost brinks on self indulgence. While we hear that Gilbert’s book “Eat, Pray, Love” has inspired many lives, this is probably a classic case where the screen adaptation loses the original spirit of the novel.
The cast does a decent job though – seeing Roberts playing the conflicted woman is bearable enough (it could have been worse, if the filmmakers have decided to put someone of less credibility in the role), and other characters played by James Franco, Billy Crudup, Richard Jenkins and Javier Bardem make the viewing tolerable. Besides that, the soundtrack does feature some lovely tunes performed by Josh Rouse, Neil Young and the wonderful Eddie Vedder.
So will this two hour odd movie make this reflect on what life really is about by the time the end credits roll? Probably not, because you’d be worn out by its dreary pace. But you may be enthused to find out whether your trusted travel agency organizes tours to Italy, India and Indonesia. That’s probably a better way of “finding yourself”.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
This Code 3 DVD contains a Director’s Cut of the movie which features six extra minutes of scenes interspersed within the already very long theatrical cut. There is also a four minute Ryan Murphy’s Journey with Eat Pray Love feature which gives limited insight on the inspiration behind the movie. Trailers of Sony movies are also included.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
There is nothing to complain about the movie's visual transfer, and you can choose to watch the feature in English, Thai, Portuguese or Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital.
MOVIE RATING:
 
DVD
RATING :
Review
by John Li
Posted on 22 January 2011
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