User reviews

Altogether, the topic, the locations, the atmospheres, the acting made me enjoy the movie more than the book. I read the book and found it OK, but not like fantastic (almost like the Alchymist by Coehlo; sort of simple enough for anyone to understand, but deep enough for a lot of people to feel intellectual or in touch with new thoughts). But for the movie I had low expectations, based on the reviews - nonetheless I was positively surprised, though left wondering if most critics are just a bunch of sheep following a path (made by an old sheep who left decades ago)? And hence, obliged to hate any woman prioritizing herself?

The movie deals with a topic that very few (American) movies actually deal with - our inner lives and pursuits for balance and happiness. Maybe because it is difficult, as it is a somewhat stand still, internal journey. But EPL has made it possible by wrapping it into an external journey too.

But my main point adding to the other reviews: Some of the criticism of the movie is that the main character doesn't seem to have a good reason to be unhappy, and to leave her husband. However, what is dealt with in the book, but not comes across in the movie, is that she and her husband are to trying to have a baby, as is expected by "people" (and by her husband). EG discovers in this process that she is still not ready for children, in fact she never will be. She doesn't feel cut for it at all, and if she has a child, she feel she'll lose herself (her new husband got himself fixed before he met her, so there was never a question about it). To choose away what many women view as a deed to validate their existence; having children, is tough and scary. One will be judged. Also, she knew her husband's expectation of building a family was not unreasonable, making her feel ashamed and different. This is one of the key reasons for her to start praying; to be able to follow her own instincts, breaking the conventional norms. By excluding from the script this realization for the main character, the viewer is left puzzled with what is wrong in this marriage, there is something that doesn't make sense here. Too bad, leaving this issue out, as it would've added another dimension to the movie and increase the viewers understanding of why EG and her husband should split.

I can't help wonder why they chose to eliminate it from the story, whether it is because it would not appeal to conservative American women who after all are the majority of the box office customers for this movie? Or whether the movie creator thought it wouldn't make a difference? After all it made the whole lot of difference to the marriage, and was a impetus for her entire journey.

All the pieces were here, great actors, beautiful cinematography, a fun storyline... but it didn't feel authentic, there was no heart, no chemistry. Very mediocre.

I loved the book. I thought Julia Roberts as Liz was fantastic casting. The trailer looked awesome. I smiled every time I saw it. Turns out, I loved everything about this movie except the movie.

Long story short, it's all of the arc of the book, without any of the passion. While never horrible, this film simply made me feel nothing.

I found the book soulful, moving, even transformative at times. The greatest emotion I felt from the film was hunger (for Italian pizza), thirst (for Italian wine), and an occasional dizziness due to director Ryan Murphy's apparent recent discovery of how to "pan." It was laughable camera-work throughout the first 45 minutes, and occasionally throughout.

The first 1/2 hour of the film was almost unbearably bad, even though the first section of the book was amongst my favorites. Perhaps someone who did not read the book could enjoy this movie, but I somehow doubt it. One time Liz made a joke, that was a nice break from the feeling of being in a lukewarm bathtub for 2 1/2 hours. Not unpleasant, just meh.

Instead of finding Liz intelligent and thoughtful, she seemed selfish, boring, and obsessed with men. Instead of finding spirituality, she seemed vapid. When the character becomes shallow, a film centered around that character becomes a throw away. Maybe I'll just watch the trailer again.

Not everyone will enjoy the movie, but some people will love it, when it touches a part from their inside. People who feel lost and lose the spark of life, will relate to so many of liz's feelings and thoughts, that's what will make you so attached to the movie. I loved every single minute, didn't seem boring to me at all, it's a spiritual journey not everybody needs.

Most people I know are going to see this film for Julia Roberts. It is that mysterious link that film stars create with their audiences. We develop a sort of craving to see them again. So a new Julia Roberts movie? Sure. Absolutely. I'm only a few years younger than Julia Roberts which means we have grown together. So, to see her play a woman facing a sort of middle age crisis makes you look inwards with a smile, the nervous kind. I must also say I'm a guy, heterosexual, but not fanatically so. I don't have the fears that, Jay Leno for instance, shows, when confronted by a "chick flick" If anything "Eat Pray Love" proves that men and women are not that far apart, we simply deal with the same problems in different ways. Here, the filmmakers don't shy away from the conflict and the balance is real. Julia's husband, played beautifully by Billy Crudup, accuses her of leaving the marriage without an explanation. He is the one with the broken heart. In Italy, Julia eats and our own gastric juices start to do their thing. I glanced at my watch, I was ready to run into the nearest Italian restaurant and have a relationship with a pizza myself. Italy, Rome and even Naples look so clean that I hardly recognized it. CGI? Luca Argentero plays Julia's tutor/tourist guide. He is a good looking guy that after appearing in the Italian version of the Big Brother reality show, he became a sort of local movie star and shows promising acting chops. Here, strangely enough, he looks small but charming all the same. India brings the wonderful Richard Jenkins and a solid piece of advise: "don't give up on love" Bali, well, Bali is something else and it is there that Javier Bardem comes into the picture and provides us with the best scene in the film. I'm not going to tell you what it is but let me just say that involves his son and gives us, finally, a side of Julia we didn't know how much we missed. Empathy. Feeling something for somebody else's feelings. I think I may see the film a second time just to see that scene again. I also should mention that James Franco plays a young actor - not what I call a stretch - considering he is my favorite of the young actors around. I will challenge other members of my sex to go and see it. Not to be afraid to feel identified or even chocked up. I can assure you it's not going to diminish you manliness in any way and will awake your appetites, big time.

...or everybody loves Julia. Free-thinking, never-been-to-me writer Liz, (Julia Roberts) decides to escape the rat race and her well-meaning but smothering husband to, of course, find her true self by travelling to Italy, India and Bali, as you would and experiencing real life in the process. We all should have her problems.

And yes, by the end, she's made umpteen life-long friendships, found her own guru and the power of zen, built a new home for a single-parent and child from contributions solicited from the afore-mentioned new pals and of course to top it all off, finds true love way out east to a handsome, swarthy Brazilian, who openly discusses his sex-life with his 19 year-old Australian (don't ask me why) son whom he kisses on the lips at goodbyes. Along the way she breaks the hearts of two young handsome guys, turns down another and connects seriously with everyone from a Swedish tourist and her tutor in Italy, a recovering Texan alcoholic and teenage girl going through an arranged marriage in India not forgetting her Latin lover, toothless ancient swami and his homeless nurse in Bali. Yes indeed, love surely grows where Lizzie goes.

The writing and acting are frequently look-away bad, the whole thing looking like a woman's magazine piece bloated out of all recognition. For some reason too, 70's music features heavily in the soundtrack - I just wondered what Neil Young might have made of two of his songs being pressed into action in support of this unbelievable, over-sentimental nonsense.

I can think of only one praiseworthy thing to say about this film...er, nice locations.

Firstly, I have never written a review about a movie BUT having read through the comments that most of you have left about this movie I just had to. Firstly, why did you bother going to see a movie like this if you are going to completely criticise everything about it; the whole point of the story is ONE PERSON'S life and the personal decisions that someone has to make?!?!?!? Do you not think we hear enough about 'war, famine, rape, murder' in our daily life/news. This movie is/and was never going to be about that – surely title gave it away 'EAT PRAY LOVE'… NOT 'FAMINE, CLIMATE CHANGE, MURDER' EPL is a movie about the most intimate thoughts and feelings a of a modern woman who is caught up in a life she does not want and how she develops and changes herself/her life for the benefit herself and others around her – and to most of you that's a selfish thing to do?!?!?! REALLY!!!! I thought that EPL was brilliant. Your comments 'she is selfish', 'what planet is she from'... just because Liz was living a life that society 'thinks' we should be living, (married to a lovely man, beautiful home) does not mean she will be happy doing it does it?! AT LEAST she was a decent and strong person and didn't cheat on her husband (which so many do) or rely on happy pills or alcohol to get herself through the day (which many people do). She took herself away from her life and tried to reconnect with what she wants in life. And I'm also guessing that NONE OF YOU have actually meditated, or spent time in an ashram or been 'silent' for any length of time?! I recommend you do it and then watch the movie again. Regular meditation, being silent for a length of time and all of those other so called 'hippy' things that she does are extremely enlightening and truly magical… thing is, not everyone can handle it… it's not easy taking a good hard look at yourself. The other interesting thing is that regardless of whether you're happy or unhappy in your current life, the things that Liz incorporates into her life are extremely beneficial and if we all spent time doing those things, life would see much brighter, simpler and happier place. I feel slightly sorry for those that cannot see the simple beauty in this TRUE STORY that was originally meant to be a kind of 'self help' book… that things happen for a reason and that people come and go in our life (male, female, young and old) and that you need to be true to yourself to be truly happy in your own skin.

Never read the book and thanks to this well-produced wretched film never will. The IMDb synopsis is inaccurate... you get no sense this broad is trying to have a kid or that her marriage has been failing. She one day decides she doesn't want it anymore and, props to the acting of Crudup, the husband has no reason to know why. Her subsequent lover is left with the same "huh?" moment. It's as if she needs to punish anyone who treats her well.

Only good looking men fall in love with Liz, and everyone admires her. She dumps her lovers and husband and the only friend that will tell her what she needs to hear, in the belief that "balance" lies so far outside herself that she has to travel the world (on a very tight schedule) to seek enlightenment. How she pays for it is never hinted at. And to have this bone-thin creature lecture another bone-thin creature on the need to "just enjoy eating, we can always buy a bigger pair of jeans" is insulting AND laughable. That the scene is followed by two bone-thin actresses faking attempts to "squeeze into" jeans is just insulting.

And the punch line? The woman who has wasted 2.5 hours of your life whining that everyone around her says she needs a man finally finds "balance"... by finding a man. And FYI EVERY man in this film is sensitive and caring. I have to say that the direction and very good supportive acting presents an effective image of all sorts of energetic life going on around Liz (and inviting her to be part of it) while she sits whining to herself in voice-over. But the unreality of EVERYONE LOVING HER is just a bit lame.

Fiction? Not much.

Oh, and why did I spend money to see this? A friend convinced me it would be great, and she is such a good friend and enjoyed it so much I will never tell her exactly how much I despised it. See? For people you care about sometimes you hold yourself back.

FYI Richard Jenkins is the only person Julia Roberts' Liz really connects to... and even that is ruined by a last-minute "Hollywood" moment. No spoiler here, you'll see it lumbering toward you like an elephant in the desert.

I think this was the first Julia Roberts film that I ever hated. I wanted to leave the theater before she left Rome, but was with my wife. After the film I found out she hated it as much as me. We did chat a little and thought it would make wonderful parody film--- picture Will Ferrell as a husband who is fed up and decides to travel to three cities... and visit The New York Yankees; The Dallas Cowboys; and the Los Angeles Lakers, as a way to get in touch with his inner man. Along the way there could be lots of drinking, cheering and preying on women in bars and cheerleaders. My favorite seen in the film was the end photo where it showed her former husband looking happy in his new family!

I usually have a tough time with chick flicks, and it was with great chagrin that I learned that the Friday rental of the house would be Eat Pray Love starring (arguably the chick flick queen) Julia Roberts. I thought I would hate it, I expected to see a sappy tear-jerker with Roberts playing her usual character.

Exactly what I got. Roberts almost cruelly and certainly suddenly/without warning leaves her husband (Billy Crudup) to travel the world, visiting Rome to Eat, India to Pray, and Bali to Love. During her adventures she meets Javier Bardem, Richard Jenkins, and many others.

Won't lie, I enjoyed quite a bit of this. A lot of the film is Julia Roberts being Julia Roberts, treading no new ground and playing her usual boring role. But, I suppose, that was the point. The character she plays is boring and normal, and even when she travels across the world Roberts does little to show the changes her character experiences. Can't say I really liked her character, which provided a bizarre feeling for the entirety of the movie. Was I supposed to root for Julia? Who knows.

EPL has some remarkable cinematography that deserves noting. I was surprised it wasn't nodded towards at the Oscars this year; shots of all these countries are beautifully represented. The script lags the most in Rome, but really picks up in India and Bali. As I said, Roberts is an unsympathetic character, but each travel experience brings interesting characters. Richard Jenkins, undoubtedly the most underrated actors ever, shines in his role of Richard from Texas in India. Bardem is good as well, but that's not a surprise. These two are the bright spots here.

If you've seen the trailer you've seen the movie, but if you're not looking for that much I think you'll be as surprised as I was. Worth it for the cinematography and characters. Plus, for that Friday-night chick flick your girlfriend picks out, you could do worse.

I love travelogues and I'm a fan of Julia Roberts but, what happened here? I'm not sure in what period, time wise, it this set. The only turmoil seems to be in this very selfish forty-something. What about the rest of the world? She goes for a sort of journey of discovery in a world that doesn't really exist. Did I miss something? No wars, no economic crisis, no nothing, only the intimate qualm of a woman who I, personally, cannot feel represented by. I grant you I'm from another generation but, please! What is this. I loved the food and Javier Bardem and it is in fact the Bardem episode that brings some kind of recognizable something to the proceedings. So, let me recapitulate and ask you if we've seen the same movie...A woman facing an existential crisis and moves out from her marital abode without even having a discussion about it with her husband - a scrumptious Billy Crudup - then she has an affair with James Franco - who wouldn't, right? - but the Franco in this movie is just a plain reflection of the Franco from "Milk" just to name one title. The Naples presented here seems out of the mind of someone who's never been to Naples. I don't know what to say. I'm a bit puzzled and, I should confess, a bit annoyed.

When I first saw this movie in my 20s I thought it was about a bold, confident woman who runs away to travel and learn about life and love. Watching it in my 30s is a completely different story. Do I agree with all the other reviewers that our leading lady is selfish for leaving her husband, being flaky and indecisive? Yes. Do I think she's wrong for being all that? No.

What this movie showcases is the reality of life choices, as well as the pressure and obligations of society. At the start she questions if she wants kids, if she wants to even be married. She's in her 40s and still not being true to herself. She's never had that "aha" moment where you feel you're on the right path. It's a commonality that a lot of people who don't have a strong sense of self will use a romantic partner to help feel more whole. However there does eventually come a point where you question if you really are truly being accepted by your partner or whether they love you because you made yourself out to be what they wanted. Julia Roberts in this role is very clearly that type that has been a chameleon in relationships, as is witnessed with her first marriage and subsequent partners following. Even her good friend states the obvious.

To me this isn't about a woman traveling the world and finding her soulmate. Cause to be honest, it's not a romance in the slightest. It's a narrative about the imperfect relationship we all have with ourselves. How we eventually learn to accept and work with ourselves, our wants and desires.

It's a good film if you've been dealing with identity issues. Julia Roberts isn't a hero or someone to look up to, but what is admirable is that she does actually take the chance of experiencing self discovery, as opposed to remaining unhappily settled, as many people do. People do change and generally it's important to find a relationship that allows you to grow, but if you don't even know who you are then how are you expected to find that sort of relationship?

What this movie is getting at is that the relationship with yourself is THE most important relationship in your life.

I did read the book but, I had hoped that this was going to be like "The Bridges Of Madison County". The film so much better than the book thanks to Meryl Streep's Francesca, a woman I could follow and learn from in every way. Here, my hero, Julia Roberts is as static as the page that originated her character. I couldn't and wouldn't get interested in her. Women, no matter how independent, remain nurturers by nature. I was desolate. I sided with her husband, Billy Crudup, totally. And what about the younger guy, James Franco, she takes instead of giving and she also takes from Richard Jenkins and Javier Bardem in Bali. It is in fact in Bali where I detected a glimpse of real emotion an emotion provoked by somebody else's feelings. I could see a film about that woman. Julia feels detached, as if she was just going through the motions. I'm sorry critics and public ganged up against her for her work in "Mery Reilly" An actress of Julia's talent and beauty could have contributed a sensational gallery of different women. Instead she seems stacked in this shrill, angry lady with very little to say.

This movie opens the door to the individual's enlightenment. Will surely teach people, no matter their genre, to say No and cut a relationship in which they feel trapped, without being happy. Just cut it and leave it all behind. No more past, not even future, just TODAY. We must be happy and live our lives today, being balanced, without accepting interferences. I did it, I left luxury behind but never felt more happy and free then in my past 2 years. The haters of this movie are actually haters of their own lives, not having the courage to admit they, too, would do it, IF they had the guts. No matter their genre! So, from my part, big shouts for the revolutionary ideas this movie promoted, and people, be free to find happiness again and to love one more time as much that your stomach hurts!

"Eat, Pray, Love" is about a wealthy, over-privileged woman who has a mid-life crises and instead of buying a sports car, she divorces her husband, has some affairs, and spends a boat-load of money.

I guess the moral of the story is that money can buy happiness.

This is the type of movie that makes people want to join the "occupy" movement. The whole point of the movie is that over-indulging is the way to find yourself and be happy.

And just to pour salt in the wound, in the scene where she is eating pasta in Italy is done to the music of Mozart's German opera "The Magic Flute." I guess nobody associated with this piece of trash was smart enough to tell the difference between Italian and German.

Do yourself a favor and skip this garbage.

Eat Pray Love is not the appealing romantic comedy it's being sold as. It's a dark character study of how someone loses themselves. Julia Roberts the queen of romantic comedies (another way to sell the film) is front and center as Liz, and she deserves a Best Actress nomination.

Roberts really brings Liz to life in both the enchanting ways and the dark ways. It's not the typical Julia Roberts performance you'd expect. The scene early on in the film where she prays for the first time is chilling. What makes Roberts so good is the fact she's a movie star, but a movie star with talent and range.

Javier Bardem and Richard Jenkins also play roles in the second and third act. They both have a magnetic connection with Roberts. Jenkins has so much fun playing his colorful character. He's the old guy you want to have long talks with. His character has a surprising arc during the last minutes of India. Bardem's Phillippe is charming, handsome, and emotional. Bardem yet creates another memorable character and a great supporting performance.

The story didn't sell me at first. As Liz feels confined, I felt confined and uncomfortable in the NYC scenes. They aren't bad, but a term I've used to describe this film before: dark. But, when she goes to Italy, lets go, and frees herself, I felt freed too. From there until the credits roll, the film doesn't have that problem but it's a big problem. I personally hold the director at fault there. He could've smoothed it over.

The cinematography is gorgeous, Roberts is beautiful with support from two stand-out men. What more could ya ask for? Be warned: this is a darker movie then the trailers may imply so it's not for everyone; 8.