Should I see it?
On DVD? Sure. Otherwise? No.
Short Review: You know how you'll trick your dog into getting into the car and he will pant and smile because of the anticipation of a fun ride and perhaps something exciting at the end of the trip? Then you pull into the vet and his eyes droop and his excitement wanes? Go see this movie and see what it feels like.
Denzel Washington plays Eli, a lone drifter who travels the violent open highways of a post-apocalyptic America. He carries the only Bible remaining in the whole world. From the looks of the cast, he is also the only remaining black man.
Carnegie (Gary Oldman) is a local despot controlling a small, isolated down. He has been sending his greasy-toothed biker minions on missions to collect books wherever they can be found. Carnegie is a budding fascist dictator and understands that if he can find a copy of the Bible, he has the Word of God at his fingertips. This will afford him the ability to control the populace within the sound of his voice.
Eli strolls into town. His sole Bible is found out and things get a tad violent.
This is a solid premise and a strong conflict. There is no reason why this film shouldn't be a fascinating, moving work of cinema. Remarkably, even with a sturdy plot, compelling story and a talented cast (mostly), this film ends up missing the mark.
There is an old adage for police that you don't pull out your gun unless you're going to use it. The same can be said for faith in film. If you broach the sensitive subject of religion in a film you had better be willing to a have a conclusion one way or the other. Any story that pulls in religious imagery or text and then balks at remaining firm through to the end will ring hollow - just like this film does.
Eli violently protects his Bible. He cuts men down with a blade and gun. In his defense, he always offers a mild attempt at peaceful resolution, but ultimately he kills more people than Matthew Broderick behind the wheel after a couple of double shots of SoCo. It is made abundantly clear that he reads his Bible every day. Apparently, he has an issue with the comprehension part of reading.
***The following paragraphs are spoilers***
At the end of the film Eli arrives at Alcatraz where he recites the Bible verse for verse to a librarian. The printed Bible is then shoved away into a library in between the Koran and the Torah. Even though Eli is clearly shown to be protected by miraculous intervention, his efforts are rewarded by being morally equated to other religions. The end is a statement that implies that all religions are the same.
The Hughes Brothers, the men who made the film, go out of their way to show that God is personally invested in Eli's journey. They then abort this relationship in favor of satisfying politically correct dogma that all paths to God are equal. This undermines their whole story, the whole reason for the film. It undermines any reason the audience may have to sit through the production in the first place. If the Bible is just another book that informs just another religion then it doesn't make sense that Carnegie would assume having it would change anything in his small town. If the Bible is so unspectacular, then Eli is a psycho for killing people he meets along the way on his fool's errand.
I'm not saying this had to be a preachy flick. It did however need to resolve the issues it brought up in the first place. It fails to do this therefore it fails overall.
***Spoilers done***
The other serious problem with the film is Mila Kunis of
That 80's Show fame. She is woefully miscast. The first problem is that her character was born after the destruction of civilization. This means she has never known soap, shampoo, conditioner or makeup. Somehow she wears makeup, has thick, healthy hair and wonderfully white teeth. She is beautiful, but not naturally so, it is all make-up.
Mila is not a great actress. This is made abundantly clear in her scenes with Washington, Oldman and Jennifer Beals. Mila wilts in comparison. She is a dark-haired Barbie in a world of thespians.
Washington grumbles his lines. Oldman offers his usual delicious overacting. The real standout in the production is Jennifer Beals. It will not be surprising if she earns larger roles from her supporting role here. First of all, unlike Mila, Beals provides a striking natural beauty. She looks like the kind of woman who looks as good without make-up as she does all dolled up. Beyond the superficial, Beals also provides the real emotional hook in the production. Washington is a stodgy, unlikeable guy. It falls to Beals to provide the emotional connection for the audience and in this role she shines. If there is anything to take from this film, it comes from her performance.
Overall, this is a good pick for a DVD release. This is not a waste of time but it is also not time well spent. This is truly a lukewarm production.
It is a deep shame that we don't live in an culture open enough to speak about faith in an honest and open way. Perhaps this film could have resolved in a logical fashion. Instead it was forced to capitulate and stutter to an unsatisfying end that helps no one.
Related Reviews:Denzel Washington moviesAmerican Gangster (2007)The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009)Other Critic's Reviews:The Film ReelFilm Edge
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