The Book of Eli
Directed by: The Hughes Brothers (Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes)
Cast: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson, Jennifer Beals
Running Time: 1 hr 55 mins
Rating: R
Release Date: January 15, 2009
CLICK HERE to read the He Said - He Said of The Book of Eli
PLOT: In the post-apocalyptic world a man (Washington) walks the Earth with a copy of the Bible. Seen as a valuable way to lead people, an evil man (Oldman) who controls a city looks to take control of the book.
WHO'S IT FOR? Wanna watch Washington kick some bloody arse? I thought so. You'll also want to believe the Bible can make or break a society.
EXPECTATIONS: You know that question I just asked above? I was on that team. I did catch the preview and started to get annoyed because I thought I had it all figured out. "It's not a book, it's a weapon!" I was wrong.
SCORECARD (0-10)
ACTORS:
Denzel Washington as Eli: He struts around like he owns the place, and darn it, he does. Not only that, he thinks he's been chosen to guard the Bible. So now he's killing anyone who gets in his way and he has God on his side. It's a nice combination. He never says much, and when he does it's not nearly as effective as when he sticks to the mission at hand. Always an important factor, I don't know who I would have rather seen in this role. Score: 8
Gary Oldman as Carnegie: Carnegie runs the town and everything in it, but Oldman has lost his fastball. Playing a good guy in Harry Potter and The Dark Knight, it seems as though Oldman has forgotten how to be good at being bad. There's never a moment that I truly enjoy his presence, and I loved him in The Fifth Element. Some of it isn't his fault. After Carnegie gets shot in the leg, it seems someone told Oldman to focus on breathing heavy and looking extra clammy. Score: 4
Mila Kunis as Solara: Is her name some odd nod to the sun? I don't know. Her whole character is kind of confusing. Don't worry though, insanely hot women still exist in the future. She's saddled with asking basic questions to Eli on their road trip, like, "What was it like before?" Eli never takes her up on her wish to be trained, which would have made this character much more entertaining. Plus, it never seems like Solara and Claudia (Jennifer Beals) were daughter/mother. Score: 5
TALKING: Simply because of the silence, the beginning of the film recalls There Will Be Blood. The rest of the film could have considered silence as well. The best parts were the action. Score: 5
SIGHTS: I have referred to SCS (Shakey Camera Syndrome) when a film just shakes throughout action scenes, so you have to imagine you've seen what's going on. You can see the action and all of it's bloody goriness here though, so that's not my complaint.. Now we have SMO (Slow Motion Overkill). Any chance the film gets, they decide to have Washington, and sometimes Kunis, walk in slow motion. Why? I guess so we can be in awe. Once is enough. The post-apocalyptic world they live in is mainly dust and grey, with really fast moving clouds. The Road did it a little better. Score: 6
SOUNDS: The score gets very mundane and they beat it into the ground. I'm definitely not complaining about Eli listening to a little Al Green with "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart," but how can you rob us of knowing what Solara's song of choice was at the end? Score: 5
PLOT SPOILERS
BEST SCENE: That first hand is taken away so quickly and suddenly even though you know it's coming, watching Eli rip through a group of cannibals is still what you paid to see, right?
ENDING: It's a twist that sits with you for a while. Really? REALLY? Well done. I didn't see that coming, though I wonder if it's possible to spot.
QUESTIONS: Walking around for 30 years? Oh wait. Yes, after the twist I guess that makes sense. Eli walks around for that long, and the end result is that the book will sit on a shelf next to some other books? That's it? God's got a pretty good sense of humor.
REWATCHABILITY: Yes.
OVERALL
You gotta have faith, faith, faith. No, it's not George Michael, it's Eli who's coming. And with the help of God, he's trying to save the only remaining copy of the Bible. The idea is greater than the application. There is little zing to the script, but this is a film that will, surprisingly, sit with you for a while. Washington is still able to bring it in an action film just like in Man on Fire, but just like that film, the pieces surrounding him aren't on par. Apparently, in the post-apocalyptic future 30 years from now, guns and sunglasses are still easy to come by, but nobody can find any computers? I know things were destroyed, but think about how many copies of the Bible there are right now. You're going to need to sell me a little on that, and this movie doesn't care to try. This is a film that can get you talking though thanks to some nice twists and turns at the end. Without a second viewing I'm actually not sure if talking about it will simply drive me nuts or impress me more. That's saying something, I just don't know what.
FINAL SCORE: 6/10