REVIEW:'The Book of Eli' proves to be a very different apocalypse
Jan 22, 2010, 8:44 AM
By JOSEPH BURGE for Digitalburg.com
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"The Book of Eli," a new film by "From Hell" directors Albert and Allen Hughes and first-time writer Gary Whitta, comes with the same setting attached. But where other films of this type have become stale and seem to be only repeating themselves, 'Eli' takes on a new theme that invigorates the genre: Religion.
In a world that was scorched and ruined by what is only described as "the war," few people remember about the world before. Young kids are no longer taught how to read because most people can't remember how.
The story revolves around Eli (Denzel Washington), an aging but not yet aged man on a quest to deliver the only remaining Bible on Earth to the "west," where he claims God himself told him the book would be safe. But in a world full of potential predators who want to steal everything from him, it is only fair that God give him protection.
This includes Carnegie (Gary Oldman), a dictator of re-created towns who can still remember the past and wants Eli's book so that he can control the people of the world more fully. In an attempt to gain it, he uses his adopted daughter, Solara (Mila Kunis)--whose mother (Jennifer Beals) is threatened with violence every time she or Solara disobey Carnegie--to try to seduce Eli. But when Solara runs away to help Eli on his quest, it sets a series of events in motion which shake the very foundation of the re-created world.
'Eli' has several things going for it. The theme of religion that the film uses is evident throughout the entire story. In an era where films are trying to hide their real meaning from audiences, it is refreshing to see a film which makes its purpose evident throughout.
Washington is also surprisingly decent in an action role. As time goes on, moviegoers may expect his abilities as an action star to dwindle, but Washington‘s performance proves that you don't have to be young to roll with the punches. In the same token, Kunis and Beals both provide performances that deserve recognition. Kunis, in particular, continues to break out of her "That ‘70s Show" stereotype and begins to earn her chops as an actress.
The problem is that although for the most part, the actors and actresses manage to make us believe their performance, there's a great deal of uneven feeling. Partially due to the fact that at times there is a tad bit of overdramatic behavior on the part of the actors, and partially due to the fact that the story is not resolute in its tone., there are moments that just feel out of place.
The film also, as a whole, feels a little cryptic. There are details that just don't seem to come to light during the story. For instance, moviegoers may find themselves confused for the first half as it truly isn't explained what his quest is until late in the movie. This lack of detail may, in part, exist due to the lack of experience of the film's writer. We see a very great idea, with not enough work to be complete.
In all cases, it seems that overall those who are seasoned in the film industry suffered due to lack of experience around them. Although there is a lot to like in this film, there is also a lot that just doesn't fit. 'Eli' unfortunately manages to only be a little better than average. And it's a shame, because the groundwork is truly groundbreaking. A disappointing and God-fearing 3 out of 5.
