Movie Review: The Book of Eli

Unfortunately, it is impossible for me not to compare The Book of Eli to The Road, a much darker, deeper and emotionally rich movie. In reality, the resemblance is only on the most superficial level. They are both post-apocalyptic with barren landscapes and gangs of thieving rapist, killers and cannibals roaming what’s left of our country. Both have their star making an epic journey to the coast. The Book of Eli will be a bigger commercial success for a few reasons. Denzel Washington (Eli) is, for the moment, enjoying rock-star status and the carnage in The Book of Eli is less horrific, flashier and has a crowd-pleasing, martial art-like quality. Eli can lop your head off with a flick of his wrist. He carries a big machete and a shotgun and he is very proficient with both. And we all know, Denzel makes a great badass (Training Days and American Gangster), even though in this performance he is very subdued. He plays a scarred loner whose main possession is a copy of the Holy Bible. The book is the target of Carnegie (Gary Oldman – a born movie villain), a tyrant and ruthless businessman who runs one of the small “towns” left. Eli is a prophet of sorts, whose only mission is to head West and deliver the book into the right hands. He doesn't know who those hands belong to but he is certain he will know when he finds them. Directors/brothers Albert and Allen Hughes don’t quite seem to know what kind of film they are making. The picture is deadly serious, almost to a fault, until a scene where Eli and his companion-in-action, Solara (Mila Kunis), must seek refuge with an older couple. Then the one-liners and comedy get thrown in. This is a truly remarkable scene featuring Michael Gambon and Frances de la Tour as a very well-armed couple of senior survivors. As the artillery rolls up to blow their house to smithereens, her line about just having put out the best china is priceless. The movie manages to be entertaining in spite of itself. Look for Jennifer Beals (Flashdance), as Claudia, Solaras' mother. She is still beautiful. It is not a must see and even though these post-apocalyptic movies look better on a big screen, this one can wait for cable or DVD.