Moving on with the point of this week's post. My first movie review on my blog! Seeing how this is my number one dream job I hope you take what I say to heart.
Movie: Eat, Pray, Love
Starring: Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, James Franco, Bill Crudup
Movie Rating (per Emily) : B-
Now before I get started, I must admit that I have not read the book (it is on my to-do list, but I haven't gotten that far yet....). So, my review is purely on the movie alone. Now while I did not hate the movie, I didn't love it. I thoroughly enjoyed Elizabeth Gilbert's journey across the world and the people she met along the way. What I didn't care for was why it took a journey around the world for her to figure out how to be a happy person. Especially since her journey was one that most people would not be able to afford (she apparently paid for the trip with a book advance). I found her character at times to be selfish to those very dear to her, yet very giving to the people she meets on her journey (Can you tell how conflicted I am with her decisions?). While I was happy with the ending, I felt like it didn't have to take her that long to get there.
The movie starts out with her being married and unhappy. Outwardly she has it all: cute husband, good friends, successful career. But, she isn't sure if she wants kids, has an itch to travel, is unhappy in her marriage, and spends many nights crying on the floor. She divorces her husband, and starts dating a so-so actor half of her age (played by James Franco). Shockingly, 6 months later she is unhappy in her relationship and again crying on the floor. So she decides to leave and "find herself". She will spend a year away from the states: 4 months in each Italy, India, and Bali.
Eat - Italy
Before it even started I knew Italy would be my favorite part of the movie. Who doesn't love Italy? She meets some wonderful friends here: mainly a Swedish woman and her boyfriend translator who helps her learn Italian. Note to self: eat before you go see the movie. In Italy it is all about food, food, food, and it all looks delicious. Anyway, the Swedish woman and her become great friends who must go shopping for new jeans together after about a month of living there. Seeing Julia Roberts squeeze into a pair of jeans on the dressing room floor was priceless! Italy is a happy place for Elizabeth. The people are nice, the food is great, and the views are remarkable. However, as soon as you get attached to her new friends, it is time for her to move on to India. No major developments happen for her in Italy; she leaves in a happy place missing her new friends.
Pray - India
Again, before it even started I knew that India would be my least favorite part of the movie. Mainly because I was aware that this portion of the book was not Christian based, I therefore had issues with her trying to find her spirituality while meditating to a picture of a woman that people call the "Guru". (I think that was my problem with the whole story, she tried to find her spirituality within herself instead of through God, and I don't think that is the right way to approach spirituality). Regardless, in India you see her go from a happy place to rock-bottom. She can't focus in meditation, there is no good air conditioning, and she gets bug bites the size of quarters (where is the Off! when you need it?!). She meets a fellow American man from Texas who she ends up be-friending. He teaches her to listen to herself and tells her to forgive herself for the past. She also becomes close to a young Indian girl who must become a bride in an arranged marriage. Her and the Indian girl share the same feelings about feeling trapped in their relationships. However, the Indian girl did not get to choose her arranged marriage and she has hopes for her and her new husband's future; Elizabeth had the right to choose and was still unhappy. Definitely puts things in perspective for the viewer. She leaves India having risen from rock bottom, but she still doesn't have the balance she was hoping for.
Love - Bali
Oh Bali. Now I loved this part of the movie. Bali looks beautiful, and I have never thought it would be at the top of my list for worldly travels, but it is definitely rising after seeing this movie. Elizabeth rents a hut right off the water, and there don't appear to be quite as many bugs! She chooses to go to Bali to find her balance. A medicine man she interviewed for a previous magazine article said that she would come back to Bali in the future, thus being the reason she decides to end her journey there.
Two major things happen in Bali: she becomes friends with a divorced woman and her daughter. This woman doesn't have enough money for a home, but Elizabeth raises it from all of her friends back in the states. That is the part of her character that is so giving, you really begin to love her. She also falls in love in Bali, although she doesn't want to admit it. Javier Bardem's character is a divorced business owner from Brazil who has moved his business to Bali. He is kind-hearted, sweet, and incredibly good looking. And he wants nothing but Elizabeth. Sadly, when he expresses to her how he feels she freaks out and runs away. She feels as if he has thrown her off of her balance. She doesn't know if loving him will cause her to love herself. However, when she goes back to the medicine man, he gives her a wonderful piece of advice (which is my favorite part of the movie): He says "Sometimes you have to lose your balance in love to find your balance in life." And all of a sudden she's got it: you don't have to lose yourself in a relationship, you can find yourself by being in a relationship and growing with that other person. The movie ends with her and Javier setting sail to a romantic getaway. She has indeed found her balance.
Takeaways: First of all, before she comes back to him, she leaves Javier on the beach....who in their right mind would do that? (Not me!) Anyway, I am happy that Elizabeth finally let down her guard in the end. I know in real life that she did marry the Brazilian man. I think she could have gotten there a lot faster if she could have just let herself be happy in her surroundings (where ever she was). Not all of us can run across the globe trying to get away from our problems, we must instead face them head on.
My advice to Elizabeth (not that I have ever been married, but from an outsider's perspective): do what makes you happy and learn that you can't solve all problems on your own, you have to talk to the big Guy upstairs and lean on Him in times of need. We are all weak and cannot fix everything ourselves. Do not be afraid of admitting that you need help in life. That's what friends, family, and God are for (when you can't escape away to Italy, India, and Bali).
Look for new posts within the next week about the promised topics. And if you did see Eat, Pray, Love, let me know what you thought as well.
Until then, Ciao for now!
No comments:
Post a Comment