The Book of Eli's trailer would have you believe it's an action-packed film with Denzel Washington on a mission, cutting down anyone who gets in his way. That description is 50% correct. Washington's on a mission, chopping off hands, heads and other assorted body parts of the ruffians who try to stop him from completing his cross-country journey. However, the action is anything but non-stop. There's a lot of quiet moments in this post-apocalyptic tale.
There's no way to sit through The Book of Eli without getting the message. You can't ignore it; you can't view this as simply a gritty thriller. The Bible is the centerpiece of the story. That said, Eli doesn't preach and barely quotes from the book. He just reads it quietly to himself when he's not slicing up someone who doesn't heed his warning that he just wants to be left alone. Still, the religious undertones are there throughout the film.
Jennifer Beals and Gary Oldman in 'The Book of Eli.'
© Warner Bros PicturesThe Story
30 years prior to the action in The Book of Eli, the world as we know it came to an end. A nuclear bomb killed off millions, and those left to struggle on are doing so without adequate supplies. Sunglasses are mandatory for going out during the day, and stealing off the dead is a normal everyday occurrence. Cut to the present and our hero, Eli (Washington), is a solitary fellow, slowly walking from the East Coast to the West Coast without knowing exactly where he's headed, just knowing that he'll know it when he gets there. And when I say 'slowly walking,' I mean traveling at a 3-legged turtle's pace. For 29 years he's been on the road with no destination in mind other than 'west'.In these horribly depressing, desperate times, Eli's not left alone on his journey. Roving gangs of deadly bandits set on him at regular intervals, although none will live to tell the tale. They always ask Eli for his backpack, he always refuses to turn it over (he must keep the book safe at all costs), and the end result of every encounter is Eli walking away with blood on his blade and dead bikers scattered around the landscape.
However, Eli meets his match when he enters a town run by a power-crazed book-lover named Carnegie (Gary Oldman). Carnegie's been searching for a Bible for years so that he can use its power to bend even more people to his will. So, of course, Eli's presence in his town results in a showdown between good (Eli) and evil (Carnegie).
The Bottom Line
The basics of the story are beyond believable, with the whole plot hinging around the theory that just one single solitary copy of The Bible exists. There are hundreds and hundreds of other books, but every single copy of The Bible on the planet - save one - has been destroyed. Yes, it's explained, but the explanation doesn't ring true. But let's just let that go and move on. Next up, I have a hard time dealing with the 29 year timeline. Is it possible to be on a mission, apparently guided by a higher power, and take that many years to go from one coast to the other? Eli constantly reminds himself to stay on the path so as not to get distracted, so why does it take so incredibly long to get to California? It seems like an awful stretch of logic, as does the fact Eli's iPod still works all these years later when he's only able to charge it if he runs into the rare someone who has the technology to do so. The rare someone in the movie being Tom Waits in a terrific cameo.Still, despite its leaps in logic, The Book of Eli isn't all bad. Watching Denzel Washington deliver yet another outstanding performance is greatly entertaining. And Gary Oldman is perfect as Washington's adversary. Oldman's the film's villain and he eats up this role, not taking it over the top and playing this man out to steal the last Bible as intelligent and ruthless. Washington and Oldman should try this again sometime, as their scenes together are spectacular.
Denzel Washington and Mila Kunis in 'The Book of Eli.'
© Warner Bros PicturesWhat is it with post-apocalyptic thrillers? The most recent of this genre, other than The Book of Eli, is the little seen The Road which made my Top 10 list of movies in 2009. And of these two similar themed films, The Road is the better movie by a long shot. Both films focus on men trying to make it to the coast. Both lead characters are protecting something precious to them on their long journeys. Both have cannibals. Both are told using the requisite dreary color palette. But while The Road was an emotionally engaging, riveting piece of art, The Book of Eli just doesn't connect on that same level.
GRADE: B+ for the acting, C- for the illogical story and the bizarre twists at the end, overall it's a B-
The Book of Eli was directed by Allen and Albert Hughes and is rated R for some brutal violence and language.
Theatrical Release: January 15, 2010
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