THE BOOK OF ELI…3.0*** (but barely)

This is the 3rd “end of the world” movie I’ve seen in about 6 weeks and I think I’m at the end of the road for this “genre” for a while. After all, enough is enough !! However, I will say that this one is different from the other two ( “2012” and “The Road” ) It’s about a man, Eli (Denzel Washington), who has been traveling for 30 years on foot across the United State heading west, presumptively to the “promised land”, on a mission of faith to deliver the last printed Bible in existence to those who need it and will treasure/worship it.

After the horrible “flash” ( an apocalyptic event of massive proportions where the sky opened up and fire rained down destroying everything and everyone who was above-ground or anywhere near.), the world is a post horrific place that is completely uncivilized and dangerous….where violence and mayhem rain.

Eli’s journey has been perilous and fraught with danger and violence at every turn…only his almost superhuman fighting skills…and perhaps divine intervention…have saved him. He eventually ventures into the semblance of a town ruled by a murderous dictator-type person( Gary Oldman) who’s unrelenting goal is to find the “book” that, unknown to him at first, is being carried by Eli. But once the cat’s out of the bag..we have the age-old clash between good versus evil. What will happen to the “book”? What will happen to Eli ?

Eli’s character seems to be a contradiction…his decisions are often to “stay the course” and continue the journey when he could, instead, rescue helpless people and, at times, he even puts others in jeopardy to further his mission. So, I found myself asking that often perplexing Christian question: “What would Jesus Do?” ..and there are no easy answers. And even though Eli is not supposed to be Jesus you nonetheless view him as a man of faith, and often it is very difficult to reconcile his actions with his faith. A real puzzlement.

Denzel Washington is, as always, quite good, but not great here. Gary Oldman, as is often the case, way over the top as the bad guy. Mila Kunis (from TV’s “Seventies” show) is way miscast as the stepdaughter of Oldman who becomes a late in the film co-traveler with Eli..She looks like she just stepped out of “Seventeen” magazine …maybe a little dusty but just looking way too good for such an apocalyptic scroungey world. And then there’s the unrecognizable Jennifer Biel as Oldman’s sex slave, also mother to Kunis.

Overall, a decent movie, but very very gloomy, and very dreary..although there is just a spark of hope… after all, it’s not that often the prized possession….the “kill for/ die for” thing is “The King James Version of the Bible.”

Clark






J