eat, drink & be selfish.

I've seen a lot of good movies over the last few weeks, I just haven't had time to post anything about them... but alas, I am back :)

After finally finishing the book, I went to see Eat Pray Love. It took me longer than it usually does to read the book--perhaps because it's so introspective and there were many parts that I couldn't directly relate to--but after viewing the movie, I have to say, I think I actually prefer the book.

Julia Roberts looks stunning, as she always does, but this was not her finest work. The author of the memoir upon which the movie is based openly (and somewhat humbly) acknowledges that her quest for a balance between pleasure and devotion might seem selfish to some, given everything that she gave up--her marriage, another relationship, her home, etc--to partake on the journey, but that it was necessary for her situation. Her description of the emotion makes it slightly more understandable. Julia's portrayal, however, didn't quite capture the same sort of apologetic humbleness of Gilbert's writing; instead, the movie made the character seem exactly what the author tried to avoid: narcissistic, needy and selfish.

I enjoyed the movie--don't get me wrong--but I find it more suited for a lonely, rainy day in. That is surely not (entirely) the fault of the cast, since they are working based on preexisting material, but I felt that the overall film fell short of all it's potential. Richard Jenkins was amazing as Richard from Texas, but perhaps I'm just biased because he was my favorite character in the book. I didn't necessarily feel the same type of emotion that was present in the book--I'm sure it's more difficult because it's a first person narrative--but still. The art direction and setting were undeniably beautiful and breathtaking, but that was perhaps the strongest point of the film. Ryan Murphy, the creator of Glee, directed, and I give kudos to him and his production team, yet I still felt that the film itself just portrayed women as indecisive, flippant, selfish, overindulgent beings that don't know what they want and run when they are unsure of what to do. It's still enjoyable on it's own, as long as you don't take it too seriously. I did enjoy it--I was just slightly underwhelmed. One positive: it inspired me to plan an extended trip abroad. Can. Not. Wait. Overall Rating: C.