Maureen O'Connell in a post below has already registered her alarm at the commodification of spiritual longings in the marketing of the new movie "Eat Pray Love." She also predicted that the movie may not simply be a disappointment, but actually dangerous. Now, in his review, Harry Forbes, one of our film critics, looks at the movie itself. And it is, in short, a disappointment.
The spiritual aspects of the story are negligible for all the high-minded talk, though there’s a nice scene near the beginning where the distraught Gilbert tearfully calls on God to help her. “I’m a big fan of your work,” she begins awkwardly before morphing into a more traditional entreaty.
The book clearly resonates with millions of readers, and there’s no reason to think the film won’t do likewise. For everyone else, it can be enjoyed as a lavish travelogue. And it will most certainly set the taste buds watering for one of those delectably arranged plates of pasta. Others may even leave their local cinema with a hankering to clear their heads with an act of quiet meditation.
Ultimately, Gilbert learns the value of balance in one’s life (summarized glibly at one point as “not loving anyone more than you love yourself”), but you may be left pondering why she had to leave her husband and travel clear around the world to figure that out.
Read the rest of Harry Forbes review here.
