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The Book of Eli
Haven’t we read this already?
Reviewed by Sam Mossman
Published on 01/21/2010
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B+
Rated R
Directed by Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes
Starring Denzel Washington, Mila Kunis, Jennifer Beals, Ray
Stevenson and Gary Oldman
Harkins Theatres
Thirty years after the war that broke the world, a lone man trudges
across the wasteland. Along his journey he encounters hijackers,
cannibals and a power hungry man trying to restart civilization under
his own rule. However, the man is on a personal mission and he will
let nothing stop him from bringing the precious book in his
possession to the safety that can be found in the far west.
All in all, “The Book of Eli” is a pretty decent film. I don’t know if it is
really as mind blowing as the ad campaign would have you believe,
but it does manage to entertain. Honestly, it’s hard to categorize
this film. There are a number of well-executed and exciting action
sequences, yet this is not the crux of the film. Though the film is set
in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, it is less about the survival and
rebirth of the human race and more about the commitment of one
man to a specific cause and his unwavering faith.
There is some nice attention to detail in “The Book of Eli” as well.
Some of the little things that really sell the setting breathe some life
into a film that could have easily been stale and predictable. On a
similar note, the cast really shines in “The Book of Eli,” as none of
the performances seem out of place and all of the characters are
well portrayed. In fact, it may not have been such an enjoyable film
had it not been for Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman. These
two add a dynamic that elevates “The Book of Eli” in ways that
those with lesser talent could simply not have pulled off.
There are a few pacing issues in the film. Sometimes it sprints along
and other times it kind of crawls, however, this isn’t enough to hold
the film back. The main detraction comes at the film’s resolution. As
“The Book of Eli” builds to its conclusion, it is clear that something
big is about to happen, and indeed it does. Unfortunately, the
intensity is allowed to subside a bit and the end drags out instead
of being the jaw-dropping showstopper it could have been.
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