The Book Of Eli ~ A Walk Of Faith
The Book Of Eli is a post apocalyptic movie with all the trimmings. Denzel Washington has his usual commanding presence on the screen and is more than Gary Oldman’s equal creating the perfect tension of talent between two contemporary greats.
The surprise for me was Mila Kunis. The That 70’s Show star really stood out to me in Forgetting Sarah Marshall in a supporting role that definitely left me wanting more Mila.
Mila’s role as more or less handmaid to the boss and general helper is the perfect crucible to make her want to get out of dodge in spite of the fact that she would have to leave her mother behind in the clutches of the boss, played by Gary Oldman, who has been on my radar for a very long time with roles in Lost In Space and The Fifth Element.
He is at the top of a very select list, for myself personally, of truly excellent super villains in the company of talent such as Sam Rockwell, Hans Landa, Timothy Roth and Javier Bardem. This class of actor is reserved for the top Hollywood productions for good reason.
We’ll talk another time about supernatural talents such as Daniel Day Lewis and Anthony Hopkins. Sometimes a director is lucky enough to get actors like this who bring an entire toolbox to the set as opposed to someone like Keanu Reeves who I dearly love but is one, maybe two dimensional at best, much like Tom Cruise.
The icing on the cake for The Book Of Eli, for me, was Jennifer Beals of 1983 Flashdance fame. The 54 year old actress remains absolutely stunning and commanded the screen in her scenes with Gary Oldman with true excellence.
Playing the blind mother of Mila Kunis convincingly and feeling her way through this life of darkness could not have been easy. She has to battle a world she cannot see and attempt to protect the daughter she loves with her whole heart.
Ultimately, any man who walks west on faith for 30 years is a man who Forrest Gump simply cannot compete with for commitment and tenacity.
If you haven’t seen this movie, or maybe it’s been a while since you have, maybe give it a go, or another go!! Let me know if you’ve seen it and if you love it too.
Bug