The Book of Eli (2010)

In a post-apocalyptic world, Eli (Denzel Washington) travels West determined to deliver a sacred book that will save the world. In his travels, he meets many wanderers. When he stumbles upon a ramshackle town run by Carnegie (Gary Oldman)—a man obsessed with finding the book Eli is protecting.

The Book of Eli is part Mad Max with its gritty, steam-punk feel and part The Matrix with its tight action sequences and mythology. Though the film has as much plot as the two of them combined, I have a feeling you’re either going to love this film or hate it.

The cinematography is amazing. Shots are brilliantly framed, creating untold angles and interest. The play of negative spaces does more to convey bleakness than ever before. The dialogue of the film is limited, so directors Allen and Albert Hughes depend on the atmosphere to create hopelessness and boy, do they succeed. It’s deceptively simple.

As I see it, The Book of Eli is a fine waste of time. The cast is just interesting enough, but it’s really the adept hand of the Hughes brothers that makes this film thought-provoking.