(PG) Directed by Ryan Murphy
Many women have read Elizabeth Gilbert’s best-seller about the year she spent after her divorce, trying to reclaim herself by travelling to Italy, India and Bali. It must have taken a lot of courage for her turn her back on her marriage, her successful career, her house and friends. She must have been very determined to break the patterns of her life and to pack everything she had into a 12 by 12 foot storage unit and head off to countries with very little knowledge of them, and many women have been inspired by Gilbert’s book. These women will probably enjoy Ryan Murphy’s film but if you haven’t read the book, you will most likely be disappointed by the film.
Julia Roberts retraces Elizabeth Gilbert’s journey and tries to share her enlightenments but unfortunately something is lost in the translation. Italy provides the first backdrop and the Italian food certainly looks scrumptious, but just eating the food and imitating Italian gesticulations doesn’t really tap into the passion of Italian people. India provides a chaotic and colourful background for Gilbert to seek stillness but again, the film seems like make a tokenistic gesture to capture religious practices that have existed for thousands of years. Finally Bali provides a location for Gilbert to find balance in her life, and also another man – because everyone repeatedly tells her she needs a man.
Roberts is continually framed by halo lighting and watching sunsets and actually spends a lot of screen time crying before she supposedly finds inner peace. Just as Pretty Woman created a considerable amount of controversy by embellishing the Cinderella myth, I fear that Roberts has participated in perpetuating a more globalised mythology – that happiness can be found by dabbling in lots of cultures courtesy of an endless supply of America money.
Lezly Herbert
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