Day 43: "I'll kill you. I'll take the book."

With The Book of Eli, the Hughes brothers have made their best movie since From Hell.  Set in a post-apocalyptic world, this film shows what happens when humanity loses it's faith, but one man maintains his.  It's not often that a story about faith can keep my interest, they tend to be way too preachy for my tastes.  This movie extolls one man's conviction in his faith without delving into the self righteous, religious banter that tends to follow.  Ahh, the Bible.  Like alcohol, as Homer Simpson so eloquently once said, "The cause of and solution to all of life's problems."  This movie has the Bible portrayed as both a weapon and a victim.  The survivors of this particular holocaust blamed it for the war that had occurred, and the main antagonist wanted to use it to influence his subjects further into submission, using faith as his club.  An extremely violent picture, it never goes too far in it's portrayal of a dystopian future.  If I was to sum this story up in a sinlge phrase, it would be The Road Warrior with God at his back.

Denzel Washington does a fantastic job as Eli, portraying both humble and fierce almost within the same breath.  I believed that this was a man who would protect his faith at ALL costs.  Great job.  Gary Oldman plays yet another psychopathic mofo brilliantly.  Carnegie (Oldman) is the flip side of Eli's righteousness.  He is absolutely convinced, and willing to sacrifice everything, but in the most heinous, evil way imaginable.  It's like Stansfield (from Leon: The Professional) was reborn, only crazier.  Mila Kunis extends her range, yet again, in another breakout role as Eli's "disciple."

This is a story about faith put to it's utmost personal test.  How one man's pilgrimage to protect and spread his faith at the highest cost is still one of the most uplifting stories that can be told.  Put this one on your Netflix queue, I really liked this one a lot.  8.5/10.

Tomorrow's movie: The Rock and that Apple guy from the ads lend their voices to Planet 51.  See you then, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!