14 DAY TRIAL // Julia Roberts is making her comeback to the big screen in a much-hyped production, one based on an equally hyped book, Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Eat Pray Love.” The movie fails to rise to the pre-release hype, a first review says.
We also noted yesterday that, despite the fact that we were talking about a film with none other than America’s sweetheart Julia Roberts, critics had been gagged until the movie dropped in theaters – and were not allowed to screenings of it before that time.
As E! Online puts it, it was with good cause that this happened. While Gilbert’s book is truly a masterpiece that portrays a woman’s wonderful journey to re-discovering herself in brilliant detail, the film doesn’t even bother to explain why she takes a year off to travel.
Even if one were to not compare the film with the source material (i.e. the book), it would still be pretty bad, because it’s flawed in ways one can hardly sum up in a few words, says the review.
For starters, it has Julia Roberts and doesn’t use her wisely, in the sense that she’s more of a presence than a real character. Secondly, while the book was fun, the film tries to be serious – and it doesn’t even explain why it’s aiming to be so.
“There are fanatics of Elizabeth Gilbert’s bestseller who are going to love this Julia Roberts movie no matter what. When, in fact, most of what made the book connect with so many is entirely missing here,” E! writes.
“The trailer shows all the funny parts – the rest of Eat Pray Love consists of Julia Roberts, one of our most vivacious actresses, gazing contentedly/ wistfully/ sadly out to the horizon/ ocean/ tableful of wonderful friends she has just made in a foreign country. The goofy laugh and big smile are in hiding most of the time,” the review further notes.
Changes have also been made to the original story, but that’s not the worst thing about the script for “Eat Pray Love” – as the fact that they only contribute to further dilute the message of it definitely weighs heavier in the balance.
In the end, what was supposed to be one of this summer’s biggest hits turns out to be a visually captivating film that lacks good story, good portrayal of characters and good dialog, the reviewer seems to say.
“Gilbert’s book is laugh-out-loud funny, as well as heartfelt. While the movie is touching in all the right ways, it doesn’t leap off the screen the way Gilbert’s wry voice jumps off the page. Our heroine’s problems really don’t seem so terrible, and you’re not entertained by her character. So ultimately, who cares why Liz is Eating, Praying, or Loving?” E! asks.
In the end though, it will be up for fans to say whether “Eat Pray Love” is a good film or not. It opens in US theaters today, Friday.
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