A scene from 'Eat Pray Love'. Courtesy Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
Based on the bestselling Oprah-approved memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray Love follows Gilbert (portrayed by Julia Roberts) on her travels over the course of a year as she tries to reconnect with her inner self after her marriage falls apart. Along the way she finds comfort with food and new friends in Italy, enlightenment at a temple in India, and discovers that she can love and trust again in Bali.
This is a movie aimed at and marketed towards women and it was quite a surprise when I found myself connecting with it and enjoying it. It wasn’t so much the story either, which we’ve seen multiple times before (usually with a man in the lead), as it was the cast that made it work, especially Roberts. I’m not a particular fan of her or her films so it was refreshing that she appeared to be the perfect match for this part.
Besides Roberts, the two parts that stand out most are Javier Bardem as her love interest Felipe, and Richard Jenkins as the man she meets in India, known only as “Richard from Texas”. Bardem delivers a very human character and makes an impression that he is the real deal, while Jenkins nearly ripped my heart out with one powerful and sincere scene.
Director and co-writer Ryan Murphy (creator of Glee and Nip/Tuck) deserves credit for crafting a wonderful movie that is one of the most human pieces on film this year.
While I enjoyed the film, Eat Pray Love is one of those movies that isn’t crucial to see on Blu-ray. Sure, the 1080p image does enhance the scenes in Italy and Bali but unless you’re a major fan it’s not worth having in HD. Special features include making-of featurettes, a music video, BD-Live capabilities, and more.
Film **** / Blu-ray *** (out of 5 stars)
Rated PG
Cast: Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, Richard Jenkins, Billy Crudup, James Franco
Directed by: Ryan Murphy
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