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Book of Eli has art, message but not enough of both

Is anybody else tired of the end of the world? Between nuclear holocausts, environmental disasters, zombie apocalypses and disease pandemics it seems like the only new dimension to add to these stories might be how tough it is to get decent take-out

Is anybody else tired of the end of the world? Between nuclear holocausts, environmental disasters, zombie apocalypses and disease pandemics it seems like the only new dimension to add to these stories might be how tough it is to get decent take-out when there’s only one person left on the planet.

The Hughes brothers have given it their best shot though. In their new movie The Book of Eli, Denzel Washington plays the title character — a man on a mission to walk across a desolate continent after some kind of industrial or military destruction of the ozone layer punched a hole in the sky and fried most of mankind. Of course, he’s not alone. There’s a town along his journey that is run by a ruthless, water-controlling dictator named Carnegie (Gary Oldman). It turns out that Carnegie really wants to get his hands on the very same book that Eli is so carefully protecting on his journey but only so that he can better keep an iron grip on his townsfolk. And just like that, the story has conflict!

It’s a good thing that Eli is well armed and talented enough to fend off any number of marauders. He also packs an impressive array of quotes and passages from the book. It probably won’t come as a huge surprise to many people to learn that it’s the King James Bible and Eli believes that God himself gave him his instructions. He reluctantly takes on a walking companion in the form of Solara (Mila Kunis). Solara tries to escape the tyranny of the evil man but Carnegie is a pernicious fellow.

The Hughes brothers know a thing or two about making movies about renegades but this is no Menace II Society. While the cinematography is fantastic at times (especially at the beginning), it doesn’t take long for the audience to realize that there’s just a bit too much slow motion action. Showing how awesome Washington can walk at 48 frames per second is great the first time and not so much the 10th. This isn’t The Seven Samurai after all. This is an action movie with a plot thread that’s modest at best. The story is more about the value of literature and inherited knowledge than being a butt-kickin’ mercenary.

Truthfully speaking, there is so much uncharted territory that could have been explored here. We never really come to empathize with the main character because, frankly, he’s kind of a jerk and a loner. It seems plausible that somebody like Carnegie would rise to power in the wake of Armageddon but not with such nice clothes still intact, decades after the moment of massive destruction. Solara dresses like a laid-back but pretty hip young woman, an impressive feat considering she is basically enslaved and in poverty. And when we reach the climax of the entire movie, I was left wondering what the whole point was. As it turned out, it was basically the chicken crossing the road. Eli only needed to get to the other side. Much like Zombieland, California seems to be the Promised Land in these apocalyptic tales.

The Book of Eli

Directed by: The Hughes Brothers<br />Starring: Denzel Washington, Mila Kunis, Jennifer Beals, Gary Oldman, Michael Gambon and Tom Waits<br />Now playing at: Grandin Theatre, North Edmonton Cineplex, Westmount Centre Cinemas, and Scotiabank Theatre<br />Rated: 14A<br />Stars: 3.0


Scott Hayes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

About the Author: Scott Hayes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Ecology and Environment Reporter at the Fitzhugh Newspaper since July 2022 under Local Journalism Initiative funding provided by News Media Canada.
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