NYC PREMIERE OF EAT PRAY LOVE & JAMES FRANCO ON EAT PRAY LOVE

*scream*  That's Javier Bardem and Julia Roberts at the New York premiere last night of Eat Pray Love held at Ziegfeld Theatre.  Doesn't she look amazing in a jacket Stella McCartney, daughter of this man, and shorts of by DVB (David Victoria Beckham)?

I just finished reading Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat Pray Love literally minutes ago in what seemed like the quickest read ever, and am psyched to see it this Friday.  In the film, Bardem will play Felipe, a sexy Brazillian world traveler whom Roberts' character falls in love with after a journey of self-discovery which takes her across three countries.

Interestingly, James Franco who appears only early in the film as the younger lover David who devastates Roberts' character, covers the September issue of Esquire Magazine also.  In his interview, he's asked what he thought about the book Eat Pray Love and he replied frankly, "What can I say about Eat Pray Love? Let’s see (pauses for 15 seconds) You know, in Eat Pray Love, my character mostly appears in the first 20 pages of the book. (smiles) And I can definitely say I read the first twenty pages."  Hey - why work harder than you have to, right?  I call that efficiency!

I've done a quick search for early reviews of the movie and there appears to be some sort of an Embargo as there is nothing published yet still.  And generally that's a bad sign.  But let's be honest though, critics generally are tougher on Chick Flicks, so I say - walk in with low expectations.  I don't care as I am going to love it - any excuse to stare at Roberts for 133 minutes!  Let yourself go, B*tches!!

UPDATE: Ouch.  The Critics are mauling the Baby Lamb that is known as Eat Pray Love.  Click here for the scathing reviews.

(Photo credit: Associated Press)