Husband had a hockey game last night so I ordered up some prime chick flick and prepared myself for a Carbohydrate craving. And a James Franco Craving. And a Billy Crudup craving.
What I got was annoyed and, admitedly a Javier Bardem craving.
What is it we're supposed to like about this movie? That a rich woman severs all ties with the men she's hurt in order to travel the world and feel both great and then crappy about herself? I liked her big come to jesus moment - I don't have to love you to prove I love myself - nicely done, since we are led to believe she's thrown her love around without a lot of thought. That she chooses to love Javier with his eyes and that hair and the smile that I could have eaten with a spoon - I guess makes all that Italian pasta and Indian floor scrubbing worthwhile.
If it weren't for the caliber of actors in these ridiculous two-dimensional parts, this movie would be terribly painful. The gruff Texan who calls Liz Groceries (played by someone great whose name I can't remember) oh, lord, what a poorly written character. What a blatent manufactured device, but when he tells that story about nearly hitting his son with the car...amazing. Beautiful.
Billy Crudup is one of my favorite actors, he makes it all seem believable, no matter what it is. And his moment in that meeting room, calling his wife a quitter, telling her he chooses her - awesome. Totally sided with him. As we were meant to, I'm sure.
And then, oh Javier. The mix tapes. The way he cried saying goodbye to his son. That slow slow dance to the bedroom. I have longed to be Penelope Cruz for many reasons, I have a new one.
But this movie sucked. If it weren't for the fact that Julia Roberts is one of the most likeable actresses on the planet, I would never have gotten over the fact that I didn't like this woman. At all. And I get it, she knows she did a crappy thing and I can relate, who doesn't do crappy things, but...I don't know, is it becasue she was rich? Because she was so righteous about it? I just didn't care.
I don't know why Eileen hates this book, but I agree with her, whatever her reasons.
5 comments:
Sing it sister! I didn't read the book... but the movie made me want to vomit.
All I kept thinking is how freakin self important she is. My life... my journey... Oh what will I do when I get back to NY how will I live???
I know I'll write a book about how self important I am but give women a good excuse for eating pasta and having sex on an island. I'll be rich!
Which of course... she is.
Oh and the jean scene! With her and the skinny actress with her. How hard was it to zip up those size 2's?
HATED IT.
On the flip side I just watched Morning Glory with Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton (who I want to be when I grow up.)Great movie. Loved it.
I didn't see the movie, but I can guarantee you the book was worse. Here's the worst part of it. Elizabeth Gilbert is a really good writer. That the universe should give such talent to such a self-involved, selfish, self-congratulatory, whiny, irritating person makes me want to bang my head against the wall.
When the biggest problem in your divorce is that that you have so many houses and so much money that it's hard to figure out how to divvy it up, my sympathy wanes quickly.
I was kind of m'eh on that movie. Neither hated nor loved. Forgot it almost immediately, except for the soundtrack and scenery (and I'm including Crudup, Franco and Bardem in scenery).
Glad to hear you liked Morning Glory, Steph. I still need to see that. Writer-buddy Diana Peterfreund wrote the tie-in novel.
Eileen, I love your hate for this book. :)
Oh, and for those DWT followers who want to learn all Steph's secrets...
I interviewed her at Get Lost in a Story, today.
http://getlostinastory.blogspot.com/2011/03/welcome-stephanie-doyle.html
Was going to do a real link... but blogger might block as spam...
Glad you're lovin' the hate, Maureen, cuz I do it with the depth and breadth of my soul.
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