Archives for August 2009

It’s steaming hot in Rome, but regardless, everyone’s on the lookout for Julia Roberts. The Hollywood diva is in the Eternal City this week with director Ryan Murphy to shoot the film version of Elizabeth Gilbert’s bestselling “Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia.”Guess which part of the title the heroine pursues in Rome.

You got it, the part that has to do with pistachio gelato and spaghetti alla carbonara.Roberts has been spotted in sunglasses and a floppy hat near the posh Hotel Raphael on the Largo Febo, at Da Pancrazio restaurant on Piazza del Biscione and haggling for choice cuts at a butcher shop on Via dei Cappellari near the Campo de’ Fiori.

She costars with Javier Bardem and Billy Crudup in the story of a woman’s effort to find herself by traveling the world. The movie is scheduled for release in 2011. Next stop for the film crew: India, then Bali. P.S. Here’s what Gilbert said about Rome in “Eat, Pray, Love”:

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Bali Governor I Made Mangku Pastika acknowledged that Bali will soon get free promotion of tourism through film.

Hollywood star Julia Robert's going to shoot in Bali with a film titled 'Eat, Pray and Love. "Julia 'Pretty Women' is scheduled to be in Bali in October.

"From the information I heard, their team is still having trouble finding balihan (shaman) Tegallalang origin, named Ketut Karangasem Liyer," said Pastika, Saturday, August 29, 2009.

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Oscar winning actress Julia Roberts of the 'Pretty Woman' fame will be in India in the third week of September to shoot her 'Eat, Pray, Love'. This has annoyed Indians, particularly Hindus living in the US.

They are concerned about the authenticity of the depiction of the ashram and Hinduism in the film. Indian American Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA), says that Hinduism and its belief system are quite often misunderstood and incorrectly depicted outside India and urged the filmmakers to stick to authentic traditions!

This is to recall that the film based on Pushcart Prize winner Elizabeth Gilbert's spirituality/travel memoir, is currently being shot in New York till the end of August.

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Some movies unite us, some movies divide us, and "Duplicity" is a perfect example of the latter. I loved Tony Gilroy's twisty caper about a pair of dueling corporate operatives (Clive Owen and Julia Roberts, both sparkling) and their bigwig bosses (the great Tom Wilkinson and Paul Giamatti).

And, when I reviewed it in March, reaction was all over the map. "Excruciating," "a bunch of nothing," "couldn't wait to get out of the theater," wrote some commenters, But then, in emails to me, I heard comments like "what a great movie -- smart, beautiful and unexpected" and "terrifically entertaining and intelligent."

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Duplicity is a cool espionage thriller with a hot screen couple at its core in Clive Owen and Julia Roberts. As silly as the convoluted plot turns out to be, the movie is about the journey, not the destination.

That makes it a perfect candidate for home entertainment. In theatres, where you want more value, the whimsical Duplicity did not deliver enough substance to go with its kinetic energy.

The $60-million movie generated just $78.1 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. $40.6 million was in the U.S. and Canada, lower than expected for Roberts' first starring role in five years.

But, on tomorrow's new DVD and Blu-ray editions, Duplicity does the job, especially when consumed with a dry martini -- shaken, not stirred, because this is James Bond-lite.

The Blu-ray's high definition picture suits Duplicity, because it looks gorgeous under the guidance of cinematographer Robert Elswit. He is the eccentric lighting genius who won an Oscar for There Will Be Blood.

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A jaundiced Julia Roberts was snapped shooting scenes for her new movie, Eat, Pray, Love, in Lower Manhattan, New York, on August 20, 2009.Roberts recently revealed that she feels sorry for today’s Hollywood stars Because the movie industry is now “much harder” than it was when she started her acting career over 20-years-ago. “I am often aware of how much harder it is for young women in Hollywood today,” said the star of Pretty Woman and Notting Hill. “I am so relieved and feel so privileged that I am beyond that.”

When colleague Ed Masry asked who should play her, were the movie ever to eventuate, Erin Brockovich replied she fancied the likes of Goldie Hawn. What about Roseanne Barr, said Masry. "All kidding aside, I don't care who plays you as long as it's not Julia Roberts," he then told her. "Her bustline isn't right and her mouth isn't foul enough."

Brockovich still remembers the day director Steven Soderbergh called with the news of Roberts' casting. "I couldn't dial (Ed's) number quick enough," she laughed. "He said, 'Ohhh noooo!' " Brockovich also revealed the movie would never have happened had it not been for her gossipy chiropractor Pam.

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Duplicity Details:2009, Universal Studios Home Entertainment Rated: PG-13, language, sexual content The lowdown:Julia Roberts and Clive Owen create some sparks in this lighthearted drama about corporate espionage.

The moves, countermoves and double crosses keep you guessing until the finale. The Blu-ray and DVD formats feature very strong audio and visual transfers. The 1080p high-def widescreen picture is superb, taking in all the foreign locales used in the film.

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Film star Julia Roberts is heading to Rome this week to work on the upcoming big-screen adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir "Eat, Pray, Love," ANSA said.

Roberts, who has acted on-screen only sporadically in recent years because she wanted to stay home with her three young children, is best known for her roles.

In the romantic comedies "Pretty Woman" and "My Best Friend's Wedding." She won an Oscar for her performance in "Erin Brockovich."

Her latest film, which is being directed by Ryan Murphy, is slated for theatrical release in 2011. It is about Gilbert's adventures traveling to Italy, India and Indonesia where she tried to find herself in the wake of a nasty divorce.

ANSA said the exact locations where Roberts is expected to shoot scenes for the movie have not been disclosed, but the news agency noted Rome's Villa Borghese gardens and medieval alleys earned mentions in the book.

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Oscar winner Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman) reportedly will be in India in the third week of September to shoot “Eat, Pray, Love”.

Based on Pushcart Prize winner Elizabeth Gilbert’s spirituality/travel memoir (played by Roberts), this film is currently being shot in New York till end of August, and the shooting will move to India to film ashram sequences after about over two weeks stint in Italy. Some of the Indian crew of Slumdog Millionaire (Danny Boyle) will also be helping in the India part of the production, though the shooting schedule is being kept hush-hush, according to reports.

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