The Good Book

Today’s movie of the day is the dystopian Denzel Washington movie The Book of Eli.  I was intrigued by the movie based on the previews, which were dark and foreboding, but had  a  lot of action to it.  Seeing the movie only validated that thought.  The movie stars the aforementioned Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman and Mila Kunis.

The movie picks up thirty years after an apocalyptic war wiped out most of civilization.  Eli (Denzel Washington) is on a mission to head west with the last surviving copy of a great book until he wanders into a town led by a man named Carnegie (Gary Oldman) who invites Eli to stay the night in his town in hopes of Eli becoming his right-hand man.  While there, he meets a girl named Solara (Mila Kunis) and he decides to leave town to continue on his mission.  Of course, this doesn’t sit well with Carnegie, and the chase is own.

Denzel Washington, who is known mostly for his dramatic roles has also shown a penchant for the action flare as of late, and this is no exception.  Denzel plays his part with conviction and and a level of seriousness that only he can provide.  His role provides one of the most unexpected twists in recent cinematic history.

Gary Oldman has a flair for playing antagonists – Commissioner Gordon being the exception – and this movie is no exception.  His Carnegie is a evilly compassionate leader who has a thirst for knowledge.  In fact, when we are introduced to him, he’s reading a book on Mussolini.  He provides an excellent foil for Denzel’s character.

Mila Kunis is known by most for her roles in That 70s Show and Family Guy.  Here, she puts on a gritty performance as the innocent girl who matures throughout the film.  She gives a hearty performance and could very well considered to be the soul of the film.

Atticus Ross provided a musical score that was rugged as well as fitting to the action on camera.  The Hughes Brothers really put on a show in directing this film.  It was shot in an almost monochromatic fashion until it gets to a certain point in the movie; that’s where the colors start to come in.  I guess it’s a way of showing that there was some form of enlightenment forthcoming.

This movie is full of action, but it’s also full of hope.  I’ll give it three dragon heads out of five and say that it would be worth at the very least a rental when it’s released to BluRay.  That being said, I wholeheartedly recommend seeing it in theaters at least once.  You won’t be disappointed.