The Book of Eli

Hughes bro's are not trying to alter people's views on religion or any thing else. They simply made a great watchable apocalyptic movie with marvelous actors and credible story. Relax and give it the credit it deserves.

With the recent revival of the post-apocalyptic genre in Hollywood, it would be easy to overlook this film, and that would be a mistake. Thirty years from now the world is a barren, desolate wasteland filled with the charred remains of a civilization that destroyed itself through war. In this bleak future a lone man wanders west (Denzel Washington), guided by nothing more than faith, to deliver the last remaining copy of a book that changed the world, and will do so again. While Washington seeks to deliver the book to those who would do good with it, a local warlord (Gary Oldman), an erudite student of Mussolini, wants to possess the book so he can use the words to sway the masses and become a powerful dictator. The characters are very well acted, the action is fluid and well choreographed, and the setting seeps into your skin, immersing the viewer in a world devoid of faith but in desperate need of salvation. The final plot twist is creative, unexpected, and poetically just. The Book of Eli should shoot to the top of your Netflix queue.

The first thing that strikes you about this film is how horrid and beautiful it looks all at the same time. We are in a post-apocalyptic world of washed out colours, destroyed structures and dying people scrabbling to make sure they are not the next to die; and it is a world that is really well designed and really well filmed by Don Burgess. Everything looks convincing and it doesn't feel like they just shot it out in a desert location, it genuinely feels like a scorched earth. The only slight irritant about the look of the film is that it does feel very much like a great copy of the world of Fallout 3 as created by Bethseda – right down to the design of the "bandits" with their goggles and ragged clothing; this bugged me and those very familiar with this world via gaming may also feel the film is "borrowing" rather than creating.

I talk about the look and style of the film first because to me it is really one of the main reasons to watch this film and indeed for the first 20 minutes or so, it is all we are drifting on – this sense of the cool and the barren without much in the way of who's or why's. Unfortunately when the plot does start to come in, it does so with a terribly corny story and message that wouldn't be out of place in one of those overly-earnest low-budget films made by Christian companies. Indeed this is what this film is – an overly earnest religious film, it just happens to have cost millions and have massive Hollywood stars involved in it. Now, this is the point where you assume that I dislike the film because it is to do with God and the bible, but this wasn't it all at – it didn't help for sure, but this isn't the reason.

The main problem I have is that the film doesn't actually seem interested in making this message work and the plot just seems like a necessary evil to get the character walking in slow-mo around this cool landscape. There isn't much development beyond the basic dialogue about the power of this book and it is nothing but endless corn in the main; I may have respected it more if it had done something with the content, but it doesn't, indeed it seems almost embarrassed by it. The Hughes Brothers for sure aren't particularly interested in that and thus the performances and shots are all about the style, the atmosphere and the look of the film. Accordingly the cast do the same – which is fine because I wonder why they were all queuing up to be in this story. Washington is a great lead because he is all style and presence and he fits the landscape well. Kunis' character makes less sense as she goes on but she is stunning to look at and again fits the style aspect of the film. Oldman's villain is poor and as a result he is only OK.

What all this leaves then is a film that should be watched by fans of Fallout 3 and New Vegas, simply because it is a great film recreation of those worlds, from the colour of the sky down to the costumes it feels and looks like the games. Outside of this though, the casual viewer is left with very little of interest going on behind the style; the story is cloyingly religious and lacking any insight or intelligence – in terms of writing it feels like having two guys at your door trying to sell Jesus to you with platitudes and clichés. It all looks fantastic but unfortunately the script simply doesn't deserve the visuals.

The Book of Eli has the potential to be a great film or complete rubbish depending on your expectations of what is to come. If you are looking for a film with some deeper meaning then I would not recommend it. However, if you are looking for a film with beautiful cinematography, solid acting and a little bit of fun action then you will be pleased.

The key in watching the film is to not buy into the plot too much, which is where the viewer is going to be disappointed. The ending is a little far fetched and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Although I honestly don't see a particularly good ending for the basic premise of the film.

If you are able to put the silliness with the story behind you, the film is wonderfully done. There is great camera work with interesting angles and framing; the set showcases the contrast between the stark light of the sun and the shadows where humankind is hiding; and the acting makes you want to buy into the characters and their conflicts.

I would recommend seeing the film, just don't get too involved with the story. Instead concentrate on the acting and the scene.

Thirty years after a man-made apocalypse, Eli (Denzel Washington) hikes westward on a quest across the vast American interior--a dark and dusty scape. He encounters a number of people who survive at the expense of others. In a small town, he is captured by a local despot named Carnegie (Gary Oldman) who makes him an offer. Being a loner, Eli prefers to go his own way, but he may not have a choice.

"The Book of Eli" is a stylish film that is reminiscent of "I Am Legend" and other post-apocalyptic stories, though it carves out a niche for itself due to its strong characters and its central theme.

The film presents some religious sub-themes, which might find differing interpretations by different viewers.

I found the ending a little disappointing, but I think others may enjoy the twists in the final scenes. Mila Kunis plays a strong character--a young woman whose life undergoes a transition under the influence of Eli.