EAT PRAY LOVE
RYAN: I was really excited to see Eat Pray Love because of Julia Roberts as well as director Ryan Murphy, who we love because he’s the creator of TV’s Glee; so I’m sad to say that the movie sorely disappointed me.
CAROLINE: I think I liked it a little bit better than you, but I totally agree. It’s a very frustrating movie.
RYAN: For starters, Julia’s character is completely unlikable, unrelatable, disagreeable and bitchy.
CAROLINE: I hated her from the very first frame. I’m so glad I didn’t waste my time reading the memoir this movie is based on like every other woman in America did. The author is so freaking selfish and self-absorbed, not to mention a giant pain and a little bit of a crazy person. So it made me not really care what happened to her.
RYAN: It’s difficult to enjoy a film where you’re supposed to take a big journey with the protagonist and you can’t stand her.
CAROLINE: Julia basically plays herself – a very self-involved person. She does a good job though, and she looks great most of the time. Except for the veins popping out of her forehead.
RYAN: Honey, she’s had those forever. I like her as an actress, but this is no Erin Brockovich.
CAROLINE: There were, however, a few scenes I adored: anything with Javier Bardem, who is one of the hottest men alive, the scene where Richard Jenkins talks about his son, which is Oscar worthy, and the dancing scene with Julia and Billy Crudup that immediately followed. These all made the movie worthwhile.
RYAN: I love Billy Crudup, but I liked only two things about this movie: seeing all the yummy food she eats whilst in Italy, which made me crave spaghetti and pizza, and Javier Bardem. He’s only in the last 20% of the movie, and for me that’s when the movie really began.
CAROLINE: Yes, the “Love” section is definitely the best one. He and Julia had great chemistry and I was jealous of her making out with him. Other than that, it’s not a boring movie, but it’s very slow and too long by about 20 minutes. And again, her character is so obnoxious that you find yourself losing interest. The scenery is beautiful though.
RYAN: The locations are all fantastic, but I didn’t love the score or some of the camera angles they chose. The first 20 minutes in NYC are a little awkward. And after that, how exciting can a movie be when you’re watching someone meditate?
CAROLINE: And I don’t know that I want to watch the journey of a woman who thinks she can just stop her life, dump her poor, loving husband and do whatever she wants and get a book deal and now a movie out of it. I mean, good for her; but she irritates me.
— BOTTOM LINE —
RYAN: I was not into this movie. I can’t say it’s a must see on the big screen even with Julia Roberts in the lead role. I’m sure everyone who read the book will run out and see it, and I’m sure you’ll all walk away saying the book was better.
CAROLINE: This is the big chick flick for August, and though I love the cast and the director, I didn’t love the movie. It’s beautifully shot and it has some very memorable scenes, but it’s disappointing overall. The main character is self-indulgent and the film is too, which led to a frustrating moviegoing experience.
— RATING —
