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Title: The Book of Eli (2010)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Denzel Washington | ... | Eli | |
| Gary Oldman | ... | Carnegie | |
| Mila Kunis | ... | Solara | |
| Ray Stevenson | ... | Redridge | |
| Jennifer Beals | ... | Claudia | |
| Evan Jones | ... | Martz | |
| Joe Pingue | ... | Hoyt | |
| Frances de la Tour | ... | Martha (as Frances De La Tour) | |
| Michael Gambon | ... | George | |
| Tom Waits | ... | Engineer | |
| Chris Browning | ... | Hijack Leader | |
| Richard Cetrone | ... | Hijacker | |
| Lateef Crowder | ... | Hijacker / Construction Thug | |
| Keith Splinter Davis | ... | Hijacker (as Keith Davis) | |
| Don Thai Theerathada | ... | Hijacker (as Don Theerathada) | |
In a violent post-apocalyptic society, a drifter, Eli, has been wandering westward across North America for the last thirty years. He finds solace in a unique book which he carries on his person and guards closely, whilst surviving by hunting small animals and seeking goods in destroyed houses and vehicles to trade in villages for water and supplies. When he reaches a village ruled by the powerful mobster, Carnegie, the man views Eli's impressive fighting skills and offers Eli a place within his gang. Carnegie presses his blind lover Claudia to send her daughter, Solara, to at least convince Eli to spend the night by sleeping with him. However, Eli proves to be the better man when he gently declines her advances. The girl sees Eli's book, and when Carnegie finds out he beats her mother until she reveals what she saw. Carnegie sends his gang into the wasteland to take the book from Eli, but the man proves to be a formidable foe as he makes it more than clear that if they want the book,... Written by Harry Jankel, London, England
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Few things are hotter this winter than Mila Kunis walking around a post-apocalyptic town in a pair of Aviators. That and a quiet Denzel Washington wielding a sword sets up The Book of Eli, yet another post-apocalyptic thriller set in the future (or lack thereof). The post-apocalypse film may be getting old after films like Children of Men, The Road, I Am Legend, etc., but The Book of Eli manages to keep itself away from the cliché apocalypse film.
Denzel portrays the title character of Eli, a mysterious man who walks around around a destroyed world carrying a book he believes can save humanity. He wanders into a makeshift town where a sadistic villain (Gary Oldman) desperately wants the book. Enter some hacked limbs, explosions, and cannibals, and you got yourself an interesting film.
This is a different role for Denzel. Usually, he's just the calm talker who tries to make sure the bad guys don't do anything crazy (think Inside Man and last summer's remake of The Taking of Pelham 123). However, not only does Denzel do a lot of talking, but he's cutting off people's arms and shooting up the place like he's Jason Statham. One memorable scene involves Eli killing Oldman's men-who are armed with sniper rifles AB machine guns-with a simple handgun.
It's also very refreshing to see Gary Oldman return to the role of a villain. Younger audiences now see Oldman as a good guy after portraying famous literary protagonists such as Sirius Black in the Harry Potter films and Jim Gordon in the recent Batman series. While there's nothing at all wrong with that, I was starting to miss Oldman's villain days, including classic turns as a drug addicted cop in Leon The Professional and a Russian terrorist in Air Force One. Oldman shows his versatility in Eli, where he makes his character a complete psycho.
When I first saw that Kunis was cast in this film, I was a little worried. Sure, everybody loves Mila, but could the star of comedies like That 70's Show and Forgetting Sarah Marshall make the transition in a serious film? Kunis plays her role well, but she should stick with the comedies until she's given a character with more to do.
The Book of Eli isn't perfect with its choppy action sequences or pacing issues, but its a fun film nonetheless. It's films like these that keep the post-apocalyptic genre alive and well.