day 2.256

eat, pray, love. skip.

unless you read the book, i don't see you liking julia robert's return to movie stardom. eat, pray, love is a good adaptation of a so-so book by elizabeth gilbert that follows her journey to regain balance in her life after a divorce. elizabeth traveled to italy, india and indonesia to regain the joy of eating, praying and loving in each of the respective countries. because the book is so much of a personal love letter to the reader, i didn't see how it would translate onto the screen. elizabeth is alone and analyzing her experiences within the confines of her own mind; how can that be fun to watch? well, it isn't. though julia and her toothy charm bring some life to the story, it's hard to sympathize with self indulgence and one's personal journey. glee creator ryan murphy directed the pic but didn't seem to find the right balance between serious and light. the movie isn't enough fantasy or enough reality for the viewer to get sucked in. murphy isn't really in touch with being a motion picture director either, with many of his shots looking amateur or experimental. at over two hours long, you're ready to be done with elizabeth's journey long before she it. having read the book and seen the movie, i could do without one-third of each: india. elizabeth is alone the whole time doing self-reflection. snooze fest. so unless you loved (or liked, or even tolerated - like me) the book, wait for something else to get your julia roberts fix.