Ella Quent

Eat Pray Love

 

 

 

I loved the book In fact, I loved the book so much that when this movie came out I organized my whole day around seeing it!

However, I was disappointed. It's not that Julia Robert's does not have a mega-watt smile, she does. However, nothing could lift the incredible boredom I felt while waiting for Jarvier Bardem to arrive on screen. Without seeming completely lacking in compassion, it was hard to care that Liz's successful suburban life with Billy Crudup was unraveling. It wasn't clear to me just why or how she was dissatisfied with the American dream, now nightmare, of her making.

A shame really because that understanding could have allowed me empathy with Liz's character as she sets our on her neurotic quest for inner peace and balance. Without any great tension the movie just is, ironically sort of like a meditation, except I did not go to to the show to meditate but to be entertained! Perhaps the movie is more clever and experiential that I suspected, and my incredible ennui was a reflection of Liz's experience!!

Finally, Javier arrives and not only lights up the screen but his charisma and passion, but gives Liz something external to play against. Relief.... there is hope after all, hope in life, love, and lust and the imminent  end of the movie.

As Phillipe Javier is gorgeous, emotional, passionate and messy to Liz's contained and reflective intellectual life. His nature is healing to her somehow, as well as the audience, raining down a torrent of feelings on an otherwise barren experience. He feels, he desires, he longs, he wants, he lives from his heart and he risks, and with this so do we, and eventually so does Liz.

It is of course a happy ending, and you will be be happy that it ended. It is not a rush out and see after all, although for Javier it is worth it.

I thought a more funny movie might have been Cheat Stray Love..

 

 

 

Ella Quents 2010

 

 

 

Salt

Angelina Jolie, as Evelyn Salt, is every man and every woman's secret dream (come on admit it!), a super-sexy-svelte-siren who is also James Bond.

I dare you to not be engrossed in this picture, not because of the story, what was the plot again... but rather because of Jolie's exquisite bone structure, her impossible body after three of her (own) children, her prefect smile, ample assets, and her ability to take out anyone in her way.

Androgynous? Yes, totally and absolutely. With a lethal combination of feminine charms and action-hero strength, Jolie commands the screen. Although she has emotions she is not ruled by them,  and although she kills, we are convinced she's noble.  A disturbing confession here, though generally I avoid movies with violence I found myself thinking  a few times how sexy Jolie's made all her fight scenes and kills looked. Of course it was totally impossible that she could really take out a boat of men single handed, I don't know if it was some kind of ingrained feminist revenge (but I am not a feminist) but I felt smug about that.

The tables were turned, Jolie shows us that strong women can still be sexy and very desirable.

Ella Quents 2010