Eat Pray Love **** (2010, Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, Billy Crudup, James Franco, Richard Jenkins, Viola Davis) – Classic Movie Review 4627

Julia Roberts stars as disillusioned American divorcée Liz Gilbert, who heads for Italy and finds the joy of eating and drinking. She then abandons that for the power of prayer in India and finally discovers true love in Bali.

Based on Liz Gilbert’s real life story of her year’s quest for self-discovery, co-writer/ director Ryan Murphy’s 2010 film is as light and superficial a concoction as you would imagine from the plot summary. And yet it is also so sweet and involving that it proves a surprisingly memorable occasion.

Indeed, if you are at all romantically inclined or escapist minded, this mix of all the tried and tested ingredients of Under the Tuscan Sun, A Year in Provence and The Beach etc etc is hard to resist. An old-style, romcom weepie in the best Hollywood tradition, it looks a treat.

The locations are so gorgeous that you will want to jet off to Italy there and then! And, though mighty long (well, there are THREE stories to tell), it is all much, much more enjoyable than you would expect.

Even if some might find her a little mannered and irritating, Roberts, looking older and plainer, is really rather good, while Javier Bardem, Billy Crudup, James Franco give classy performances as the men in her life, Felipe, Stephen and David. They are a prize bunch and she would be lucky to have any of them, by the way!

Richard Jenkins (as Richard from Texas) and Viola Davis (as Delia Shiraz) give memorable turns, too.

It is rated PG-13 on appeal for brief strong language, some sexual references and male rear nudity.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 4627

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