Eat Pray Love (2010)

This film is based on the book written by Elizabeth Gilbert based on a trip that she took after her messy divorce in which she decided to spend a whole year traveling to three countries. Four months in Italy to eat and enjoy, four months in India trying to discover her spirituality and four months on Bali where she found love.

Liz (Julia Roberts) is unhappy in her marriage and is tired of pretending. She files for divorce from her husband Stephen (Billy Crudup) who does not take this lying down and makes things very hard for her. She eventually decides to just give him whatever he wants so that he will just go away. Soon after she is writing and article on Yoga vacations and goes to Bali where she meets a very old medicine man who says that she will lose all of her money (but make it back again) and that she will come back to Bali one day.

She soon embarks on her trip to Italy, India and Bali. In Italy she meets some fun people and puts on some pounds. In India she lives and works at an Ashram where she meets Richard from Texas (Richard Jenkins) who becomes her good friend and confidante. She moves on to Bali where she meets up with the medicine man again, makes some good friends and finds love with Felipe (Javier Bardiem) a Brazilian business owner.

I was not a huge fan of this movie. I had read the book and wasn't thrilled about that either. When I worked at the bookstore, people came in droves to buy this book which was on the bestseller list for 187 weeks. I finally read it but was one of the few people that weren't completely enamored of it. Sometimes another customer would come in and whisper that they didn't think it was great either, hilarious. I think when so many people think that something is great (ie "The Secret" secret what? Secret way to get you to spend your money needlessly) they feel like they have to say they like it too. I just found it kind of boring. I felt the same way about the movie. Julie Roberts looked wonderful as always and the bright spot here was Richard Jenkins who is awesome! The scenery in Italy and Bali was gorgeous.

133 minutes. Rated PG-13. I GIVE THIS MOVIE TWO AND A HALF STARS.