Watch our Video Review of the Hughes Brothers’s The Book Of Eli starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, and Mila Kunis. Me and Roth discuss this solidly entertaining movie and what we liked and what we thought was out of place. Let us know what you think about the movie or our review, thanks!
- Dennis
Great review! I too had been taken out of the movie by Malcolm McDowell, but I didn’t realize why until you pointed out the Fallout connection. I think I was like Roth, thinking “hey, that’s that famous guy!” Also I kept thinking “That 70′s Show” whenever Mila Kunis was on screen. I think you nailed it with her clothes. She just didn’t quite fit the world. The end of the movie, in terms of the Eli character, was killer for me though. So great! You’re right about the ending for the Solara character though. I even remember my friend groan in disbelief at that closing shot.
Yeah the Fallout thing was the first thing I thought of when he appeared on screen, since you to him talk throughout Fallout on the radio.
Mila Kunis seemed to made up for the post apocalyptic world. Her skin is too nice and smooth, eyebrows shaped, lips aren't dried out, hair is pretty clean. Basically like they took her from Forgetting Sarah Marshall and said "hey you're in a different movie now"
Like I said, it's nothing to do with her acting, it's just the visual appearance of her that screams "modern world"
Dennis
Yeah – it's too bad they tacked that on at the end – but I enjoyed the movie.
Thanks!
Roth
Good point with Mila Kunis' miscasting. I actually thought that role probably would've been better with Jena Malone in it. For some reason I kept thinking that whenever I saw Kunis on-screen.
I think Jena Malone would have been a good casting choice, I think there's several young actressess that could have filled the role and been more believable as a coming from that time. There's definitely something in Kunis's voice and look that screams of today.
I wonder how Summer Glau would have done in that role? hahaha
Dennis
Even Camilla Belle I think would have felt more in place. I also really like her.
Thanks!
Roth
I was bothered by Mila as well, and you guys hit it on the head. She just seemed to "current" to be in this world that has found its own groove.
I could see the old people clinging to their affectations, but someone that young wouldn't act or talk that way. That and "the ending" seemed less plausible in hindsight (still blew me away). Perhaps watching it later will clear things up. But those were my only real problems with the movie.
Yeah it would be more believable if the older people were still influenced by the modern world but some girl that was born and raised only in the apocalypse? Even some of the older men of Carnegie didn't know anything, like what a TV was.
I do think it was an enjoyable movie and Mila Kunis didn't ruin it, just thought someone else would fit better.
Dennis
Those were pretty much my problems too – but I enjoyed it overall
Roth
Great review… but do you guys ever disagree with each other?
Yeah we were just talking about this!!!
You know we mostly agree on Geek Genre films and MOST art house films (though I like Eternal Sunshine far more than Dennis and we view it's overall message differently)
There Will Be Blood makes me angry but he really likes it.
So we do have some areas of dispute.
Like he said Arrested and South Park not for Dennis – but that is some of the funniest Shite to me
!
Thanks for commenting!
Roth
Hahaha, it's strange, we just talked about it the other day. We actually do disagree, but the problem is it's mostly with non-geek genre movies and TV.
For example, I loved 'There Will Be Blood', and Roth thinks it's boring.
She loves Arrested Development, I only like it. She likes Family Guy and South Park, I don't care for either.
I'm sure sometime soon there will be a disagreement, perhaps Clash Of The Titans or Alice In Wonderland. Maybe A-Team?
Dennis
I think with the end, we weren't really talking about the "twist", I thought that was fine. I think it's more about what they did with the Mila Kunis character, Solara, and the shot of her basically being a female version of Eli. Perhaps if it was a different actress I might have believed it, but I didn't see anything "badass" in her character or performance that would lead me to believe that she wouldn't get her ass handed to her the first time she had to fight more than one person at once.
Overall, I enjoyed the movie and see it as an homage to the old spaghetti westerns and Kurosawa's samurai films. Though there are certain things that could have been better, it still was entertaining and glad I saw it.
Dennis
Same here, I'm happy that this one turned out well. After, of course, the horrible outcome of "Daybreakers"
I think you pretty much spot on with the entire review with a few "minor" things I think differently in respect to the ending. And I do agree about Mila Kunis, she was too pretty, perfect and clean for something of this magnitude. It was as if she couldn't wrap herself around the role and idea of what was going on around her.
And as Roth said, she wasn't believable when TV or anything else was mentioned. She can't read, but she spoke very well for someone who had never learned how to. Not many people that I have met, who are illiterate, can speak that well.
As for the ending, when I figured out Eli's "condition" the lights went on and a lot of things made sense to me. I honestly thought it was a more solid ending than either of you thought. Only because at THAT one point in the film, I figured out, why it took so long, why things he did "now" made sense, and why he was so "focused" on his goal. The cumulation of everything he was accomplishing justified the ending to me. Not because of some "religious" aspect, but because of his spirituality in finishing this mission of his life. This was probably something to do with the writers and they way they saw Eli. And this, to me justified "why" he did all of this. It even justifies why Mila's character did what she did in the end. I mean, come on – The Book of Eli – I should have figured that one out immediately. It's like a book in the bible. And Mila's character was "continuing" Eli's mission by starting her own in respect for Eli. Whom, I would assume she now greatly respected.
Now they never say "why" or "how" he knew where he needed to go. I think they left that to your imagination, which to me is good story telling. I've always thought a really good story left some parts for you to think about and work out on your own. Helps you become "part" of the story.
The "religious" aspect, I do agree that it's very generic and not preachy at all. Just enough to give you the reasoning behind why he did what he did. Kind of like in "The Day After Tomorrow" when they were in the library and the one character (who is an atheist) says he wants to save he Gutenberg Bible, not because of religious reasons. But because it was the dawn of the age of reasoning, etc.
They do a great job of pointing out Oldman's character wants to use Religion as a tool/weapon to control everyone. And even the "mention" of the reasoning why the burned all the bibles, makes complete sense – because there are those who would use it as a means to control masses of people. Hence Oldman's character wanting it to rule his piece of the world.
So the reasoning why I thought it was a much stronger ending than you all did, is because of that point in the film when "everything suddenly makes sense" (avoiding spoilers here). I don't know if it has to do with my religious upbringing or how I was raised. Not that I am religious now, by no means am I anymore. But it became VERY clear to me the reasons and the whys. I love how they did it in such a way that I was completely in the dark until the end (no pun intended). I normally figure these things out and did not. I do think that there are some who will dislike it because they won't like that "religious" overtone that's there. And they definitely won't understand the "why" either.
Just my two cents (well, okay more like $5) but you get it.
Keep up the great work!
Yeah not to be repetitive – but I will
– It wasn't the twist, it really was that shot of her. It just seemed silly and out of place. Too generic a thing to do at that point. I can see how that would be a hard conclusion to get out of gracefully – but there must have been a better way. Those are my thoughts. Thanks for commenting! Good to hear from ya!
Roth
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