Maybe it seems a bit surprising that “The Expendables” ($35 million) beat out “Eat, Pray, Love” ($23.7 million) this past weekend at the box office – just because the place was packed to the gills even a half hour before the show. Gosh weren’t there more chicks there than Lilith Fair? And besides how many weeks was Elizabeth Gilbert’s 2006 memoir on the bestseller list anyways …. like forever? I mean Sly’s “Expendables” looks from clips rather expendable, doesn’t it? Bunch of action-guy old farts. Sure, give me the animated “Super Friends” any day; you know, Aqua Man, Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman and Robin etc. (Especially Aqua …) But Sly, Arnold and Willis? — oh I’ll take a pass.
Anyways, “Eat, Pray, Love” was not really a painful affair, guys. It was quite entertaining to a point. I sat in an aisle where a number of women were heard to say they had read part of the book but not the whole (whiny) thing. I had read part of it too and I really did mean to finish it. Anyways, Julia Roberts does a good job as “Liz,” and the cinematography of Italy, India and Bali were quite fetching. I guess I liked Italy and India but started to tire around the Bali part. Perhaps, I admit, James Franco early in the pic did more for me than Javier Bardem near the end; I know that’s not the popularly held view among women in the age group of the book’s fanbase, but it’s sort of true. After all there’s good reason the young-ish Franco was on “General Hospital” and why Sean Penn kissed him in “Milk.” Think about it.
Anyways, the “E, P, L” soundtrack is a pleasant surprise. Two Neil Young songs! Two Eddie Vedder songs! One Sly and the Family Stone, and one Marvin Gaye! When you hear “Heart of Gold” come on during the movie – it’s just awesome.
I know some critics have clobbered “E, P, L” for being whiny, priviledged, soft, simplistic, self-absorbed etc. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called it “torture” to watch. I could think of other movies much more tortuous. I’m sure it wasn’t as full a picture or as witty as the book. But the movie followed the remnants: a women’s journey after her painful divorce. Like the book, I found some authentic substance and some good chick flick escapism to it.
