'Eat Pray Love'

'Eat Pray Love' (PG-13) (2 stars)

Writers: Jennifer Salt and Ryan Murphy based on memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert
Director: Ryan Murphy
Starring: Julia Roberts, Richard Jenkins, Billy Crudup, James Franco, Viola Davis, Javier Bardem, Mike O'Malley

"Eat Pray Love" is beautiful to look at and the food displayed in the movie looks so delicious and made me hungry. That is all I can say works in this empty movie which is one of the most disappointing movies of the year. This is based on Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir of her year of discovering herself in Italy, India and Bali. Be careful when writing a memoir you think is so important and that people should care about when you have nothing worthy to tell us. I had the same problem with this movie that I had with one of the worst movies I have ever seen based on a memoir called "Running With Scissors". Augusten Burroughs was the annoying and arrogant jerk of that memoir. This is not as embarrassing, annoying and insipid as that one was but I didn't care anything about this women's journey of self discovery. Ryan Murphy directed this and Scissors so maybe he should stick to "Glee" and "Nip/Tuck" only. There is nothing new and more exciting here that goes on than goes on in millions of women's lives every year. I am sure there are women out there that have more to say with their journeys because this story is lifeless. The qualities that keep this from becoming a bad movie is the scenery, Julia Roberts performance and a very promising start in Italy.

The first third in Italy is actually entertaining and fun and the food looks so great! The second third in India is terrible and weak, the final section in Bali is better but the ending is too abrupt and unsatisfying. It also wastes a fun performance by Javier Bardem whose character is written very thin. The ending involving Bardem's character cheats us from a sweeping, romantic conclusion, it just ends. The opening scenes between Roberts as Gilbert and her first husband played by Billy Crudup are badly written, awkward and annoying. The scenes between Roberts and James Franco as a love interest are wispy, laughable and weak. I did like the location work and Richard Jenkins performance. I also like Roberts a lot, she looks beautiful, her smile and laugh are still powerful and she looks radiant. The only problem is that it is a good performance but not a great one by Roberts and that is the fault of the writing and character. Why should I care about Gilbert when there are a plethora of women that go through the same thing but in more interesting ways? Have you seen "Precious" yet ladies?