Bali-Wood: “Eat, Pray, Love”

The new Julia Roberts vehicle showcases her shining presence and gives Bali a real Hollywood live star turn for the first time. This is no Hope/Crosby “Road To Bali” flick made in a studio; the scenes of the island of the Gods are real and the island looks gorgeous. I kept an open mind, not expecting very much. I hoped Bali would come through as more than a caricature of what it really is. I am not sure that it did. The movie predictably reinforces Bali's image as a place for spiritual renewal but equally clear is its location as a place for well-to-do expats to party and fool around. There's no link to Bali's place within Indonesia; in fact, I am not sure the word Indonesia is mentioned. You don't hear any of its music or see its wonderful performing and visual arts or great temples. Hardly any crafts. What you do see is the creativity of its paddy landscapes. In other words, great tracking shots. The soundtrack for the Bali section is primarily samba, the leit motif of its main character's Brazilian love interest.

I have heard that there has been an uptick in travelers because of the book and I imagine the same with the movie. That's a good thing I suppose.

The Indonesian actors are quite strong (the great Christine Hakim and the wonderful Hadi Subiyanto ) In fact, they steal some of the scenes they have with Julia Roberts. Indonesia can be proud of its performers transcending their locale.

What you learn about Bali is superficial but perhaps it will encourage stronger story lines. Now Hollywood has proven that Indonesia can support a big budget location shoot. To me the movie is a fairly prosaic ode to single womanhood and single motherhood. It has heart and accurately represents expats who find “balance” in their chaotic lives from a time in Bali. But those tracking shots mirror the sense of someone merely passing through, which is exactly what its main character does.