Hidden Gems: The Book of Eli

There was a war a few decades back, a nuclear holocaust that ruptured the ozone and caused the sun to scorch the Earth. The few surviving humans, covered in burn scars, scavenge to survive like nomads. Very often it's refreshing to see a movie that's original. While The Book of Eli is a post-apocalyptic thriller about a man named Eli who has the last King James Bible, presumably, in the whole world. It's a movie that ultimately has more to it than what you see.

The Book of Eli is sort of an odd, post-apocalyptic western, similar to the Clint Eastwood, Man-With-No-Name movies. The movie is dense, littered with clues and never really spells any of the minute details out for the audience. There is a ton of action, and all of the action is highly choreographed and the directors, the Hughes Brothers, direct them in long, uninterrupted takes in medium shots and long shots, actually allowing you to see the wonderful choreography, and dare I say, blood spatter. The acting is all spot on, while Denzel Washington is very reserved as Eli, Mila Kunis shines as his young sidekick, Solara, and Gary Oldman is the modern day Claude Raines, adding Texas draw to his list of magnificent accents, as Carnegie the villain of this story who wishes to find the bible and use its words to prey upon the hopelessness of the people.

As it is, the movie is a bit tough to watch. PETA must not be happy at all of the animal slaughter in the movie for food, not to mention human slaughter, where a great many of humans in this post-apocalyptic future have become cannibals to survive. Even through all of this, The Book of Eli manages to be about something. It's a wonderful movie about faith and belief in the bible. Even though Eli carries the bible, trying to get it to a safe place, his own religious beliefs are shaky at best, but throughout the film his own faith is strengthened and he manages to convert his sidekick Solara (Kunis). What you can't see, can often be the most affirming.

So as I sit here, I simply have to say see The Book of Eli. There aren't many movies that will handle such subject matter in a big, Hollywood studio production, and for that this is a genuinely daring film. A must see.