Synopsis: A woman leaves her career behind to travel for one year.
Release Date: August 13, 2010 MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genre(s): Drama, Romance
Film Review
Production
As a woman just out of a divorce and a tumultuous rebound relationship, Liz Gilbert (Julia Roberts) decides to leave everything behind for a year. This decision, which takes her to Italy, India, and Bali, sounds like a grand adventure for a single woman to embark upon. While also breaking the stereotype of a single woman traveling alone as being strange, unnatural, and not proper etiquette. What results in the film is adventurous, but the motivation not wholly relatable. Liz’s problems lie in her inability to exist without a man or accept the choices she has made in life. As she travels the world we are forced to watch her try and overcome these issues but it all becomes very monotonous and off-putting to watch for so very long. The main obstacle, herself, is always present but the needed additional trials to keep the story interesting do not exist or are never fully realized to the point where they appear to actually motivate the story along. Even her relationship in Bali, with Felipe (Javier Bardem), is translucent. The charm and connection they share is only briefly touched upon. It is enjoyable to watch her fall in love with pizza, embrace her newfound muffin top, or let her mind go in an Indian ashram, and see just how difficult that turns out to be. Yet the entire time all that crosses your mind is she is using other things to compensate for her being alone. Unable to be at peace with herself she is constantly filling the void with the inconsequential. Or using other people’s misfortunes to occupy her time. The desire to see Liz as herself, free of the burden of having to do things weighs heavy on the viewer. If you can find a way to connect with Liz she may be a great character to get behind and root for her future. If you find she is nothing but an empty shell of a person seeking fulfillment in exotic places then the film will be a dire disappointment. As well as annoy you with the constant use of a hazy golden aura-like light behind her head that makes absolutely no sense except to highlight her blonde hair as her character is far from spiritual, or pure of heart and mind.
Cast and Crew
- Director(s): Ryan Murphy
- Producer(s): Ryan MurphyJennifer SaltElizabeth Gilbert
- Screenwriter(s): Julia Roberts (Liz Gilbert)Billy Crudup (Stephen)James Franco (David Piccolo)
- Story: Javier Bardem (Felipe)
- Cast: Brad BueckerRobert RichardsonBill Groom
- Editor(s):
- Cinematographer: Dario Marianelli
- Production Designer(s):
- Costume Designer:
- Casting Director(s):
- Music Score:
- Music Performed By:
- Country Of Origin: USA