A review of Eat, pray love: an inspiring movie with some flaws

avatar
(Edited)

"We all want things to stay the same, David. Settle for living in misery because we're afraid of change, of things crumbling to ruins."

31d6010cc25f864f8d925481393879af

Source

Plot

Despite having all she needs to be happy on the outside (a stunning home in New York, a thriving writing career, and a loving husband), Elizabeth Gilbert, sometimes known as Liz, chronicles the rebirth of a woman who is profoundly unhappy in this autobiographical short story. Despite this, Liz still feels out of place in the world she has created for herself.
She so decides to divorce her spouse first before setting out on a year-long globe tour (in the middle she is also involved in a short and toxic relationship). She spends four months in Italy, mastering the skill of "dolce far niente" and savoring the culinary delights.
The following four months are spent in an ashram in India, where she develops her personal spirituality. Last but not least, she spends the final four months in Indonesia, primarily in Bali, where she discovers her equilibrium...and also love. Thus, "Eat, Pray, Love"

eat_pray_love_445679913_large

Source

“To lose balance sometimes for love is part of living a balanced life.”

Why you should watch it?

  • Photography: The cinematography of Eat, Pray, Love is visually impacting, well-edited, and filled with information like a travel guide. It captures the beauty of Italy, the paradisiacal locations of Indonesia, and the mystical landscapes of India.

ejlkk57fnjf43iw7jf5kbmf7cy

Source
  • Travel to know yourself: The movie is separated into two chapters, the first of which is lighter and is focused on Italy and food. Elizabeth meets Giovanni (Italian Luca Argentero), a charming young man who drives her between Rome and Naples so she can learn about Italy's unique goods. Until her departure for India, when she starts her meditation journey, Elizabeth leads a happy existence. She meets Richard (played by Richard Jenkins) there, a man who reminds her of her difficult existence in New York and who has just gone through a difficult divorce. The rest of Eat, Pray, Love takes a serious, philosophical tone after this, but when Elizabeth travels to Indonesia, it loses that direction. She meets the charming Felipe (Javier Bardem), who she initially rejects (since she is afraid to lose the equilibrium that she has so hardly gained) but that is undoubtedly the catalyst for her decision to start living and falling in love once more.

36f7a8f867668891a64b9034619e83cf
Source

"I wanna go someplace where l can marvel at something. Language, gelato, spaghetti, something."

"I decided on my word. "Attraversiamo"... It means: "Let's cross over"."

  • Four seasons: The screenwriters aimed to correlate a season of life and one of the four natural elements—water, earth, fire, and air—to each area Gilbert (here brilliantly portrayed by Julia Roberts) touched. For instance, New York is depicted in this movie as a gloomy, cold city, matching the hues of winter.
    The main character starts to feel out of breath at this point, the opposite of how she feels in Rome, Italy, where she spends most of her free time eating and admiring the local wonders. In order to portray Gilbert's initial feeling of emptiness as well as her breath when she returns to a full life, air is the element that symbolizes her time spent in Italy. If Rome was depicted in autumnal hues, India follows quickly with its incredibly vibrant orange and fiery red tones, which are inextricably linked to the summertime of our lives. In one instance, Liz learns meditation in an ashram and acknowledges that she has, at last, emerged from the depths of depression. Her spiritual quest comes to an end in Bali, Indonesia, which is a symbol of spring and where she eventually falls in love after initially rejecting it because she is utterly unwilling to break the equilibrium she has worked so hard to achieve.

ed6858f75e92d107fbfeb87dd17a1418

Source

Conclusion

A cute movie overall, but one that wasted numerous chances. A multitude of catchphrases and clichés are used to describe much more complex feelings saved (partially) from stunning cinematography, competent direction, talented acting, and magnificent landscape. In other words, perhaps certain passages were omitted between the old and the new love, between the guilt and the forgiveness, and between the problem and the answer. Some deus ex machina that falls flat.
The story, however, is fantastic, and congratulations to the actual Liz who realized what most people simply preach, i.e. the "I abandon everything and leave to wonder again" line. And it's also because I adore traveling so much that I can't criticize Eat, Pray, Love and yet encourage you to watch it.
No big hopes, but a few hours of guaranteed eye candy and relaxation nonetheless.

Rating

My personal vote is:


7.0/10


If you enjoyed the post, please leave an upvote and/or a comment, and feel free to follow me (at the link below) if you want to see my next movie review.

➡️ hive.blog/@aurzeq ⬅️

fIRMA_hIVE.png



0
0
0.000
8 comments
avatar

This movie, despite its flaw it's quite inspiring. Even till this day and in Bali, I still hear people told me they try to live their " eat, pray, love" life. I watched this movie over 10x and I just like the tiny bits of cultural scenes instead Liz story itself. I also read the book and I would say in this case, the movie is better.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Thanks for your comment @macchiata.
I actually was curious about the book, cause usually, the book is almost always better than the movie adaptation, but I think I will not read it after your comment 😂

0
0
0.000
avatar

hahahahah that wasn't the case with that one 😄

0
0
0.000
avatar

Hi @aurzeq ! Thank you for sharing your opinion on this film. Never heard of it before, but stories about changing our "stable" way of living to follow deeper impulses are always able to touch our soul at different levels. Despite the clichés, I am curious about this one!

0
0
0.000
avatar

thanks for your nice comment @elbrigoh.
I think you will like it, so give it a try. The story in itself is quite nice and really inspiring.

0
0
0.000
avatar

This is a great movie that in my opinion made me see the value of taking time to find oneself again, to find that emotional and psychological well being, for that and as you indicate the great production that shows the beauty of different countries, I would also give it a 7.10 - 10.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Thanks for your comment @ginethchira2301. I also find this kind of movie really inspiring, and they help you look at "alternatives" in your life that you wouldn't otherwise even consider, even if at the end to do something like the protagonist of the book/movie is not at all easy

0
0
0.000