The Book of Eli

3 stars

Washington portrays a lone warrior in a harsh post-apocalyptic world.

Rating: 14A
Stars: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson

What’s the story?
Thirty years after global destruction, mankind struggles to survive in a world where you must kill or be killed. All the while, a Joan-of-Arc-like figure named Eli (Washington) makes his way “west” with a quest, protecting a book that is the only hope for mankind. Problems arise when Carnegie (Oldman) seeks to get his hands on the book for his own means.

Why see it?
The dream-like cinematography is haunting, and the brutal reality of Eli’s world at once disturbs and draws you in. While The Book of Eli has a very depressing tone, the movie focuses on hope amidst despair and has some truly beautiful moments, like a subtly touching scene where Eli prays with a baffled, wary Solara (Kunis), who later tries to pray herself with her mother. The film also paints Eli’s unwavering faith with a tender sensitivity, showing the strengths as well as weaknesses of humanity. For many, The Book of Eli will be an opportunity to raise some interesting questions about the ideas of faith and humanity.

Problems?
If you can’t stand gore, consider yourself warned – violence is prevalent, although it is arguably not of the gratuitous kind. Disturbing things like cannibalism are also alluded to. But unfortunately, the movie fails most in trying to be both a testosterone-filled action flick and a deep, intelligent, thought-provoking film; it ends up somewhere in the middle. Much of the problem lies in the screenwriting, as quite often we must assume what Eli is rather than being shown who he is, which lessens the overall emotional impact of the film. Still, the acting skills of Washington and Oldman do much in the way of compensation.

All in all:
An interesting take on the concept of faith and hope.