Movie Review: Eat Pray Love

I admit, I have never read the book but since I'm such a sucker for a good chick flick - this offered to fill that bill - I fed into the hype and I was seriously excited to see it. Sadly, the greatest emotion I felt from this movie was hunger. Haha.

I'm sorry, but this film just dragged interminably, and not much was happening. It was so long that I was actually ready to leave the movie house. Somehow, I just never felt any emotional connection with the material. I thought the script was lacking, the character development was shallow and the direction was mediocre, at best.

Now, Julia Roberts as the main lead was adequate on some scenes, but there were moments that it felt forced on her end. To be perfectly honest, I would have preferred someone with a bigger dramatic depth like, say, Cate Blanchett or even Naomi Watts. This just wasn't a good vehicle for her comeback.

The supporting characters, on the other hand, were a mixed bag. I mean, James Franco, Billy Crudup and especially Richard Jenkins brought solid performances. But why can't I just warm up to Javier Bardem as a romantic partner? Could it be his almost "primitive" look in profile? It's harsh, I know, but I just don't see it. Really.

Frankly, I could spend an evening writing what was wrong with this movie. But I have to say that it was beautifully shot. The cinematography, I thought, was breathtaking. However, with the stunning Italy, India and Bali as your backdrop, how can they lose right? Ha!

While never horrible, this film simply made me feel nothing. Heck, my sister even fell asleep in the theater. Haha. Seriously though, I tried very hard to like it but there was nothing to grasp on to. The trailer looked engaging and I thought casting Julia Roberts was a genius move. I smiled every time I saw it. Turns out, I loved everything about it.. except the movie itself.

 RATING: 5/10

I swear, it pains me to give this rating! Haha.