By: Holley Sinn

Verdict:  Approved!

January is a paradoxical month in the film industry.  It's where some films go to die, but it's also where some excellent but unmarketable films go in hopes of finding small theater audiences which may eventually yield greater DVD viewing.  "The Book of Eli", starring Denzel Washington, is one such film.  It deserves a much larger public response than it will get.  It's kind of a shame.

Denzel Washington stars as Eli, a man on a mission to travel "West" in a frigid post-apocalyptic world, void of foliage and nearly completely without safe drinking water.  He is blessed with an amazing fighting ability, and can take out large bands of cannibalistic meatheads without much trouble.  However, a certain mob leader named Carnegie, played by Gary Oldman, presents a greater challenge than most.  He is educated and learns that Eli possesses a book which he believes could turn his small empire into a much greater one.

Through his acquaintance with Carnegie, Eli meets Solara, played by Mila Kunis.  Solara is intrigued by Eli's devotion to "prayer", a novel concept to a woman born after the solar flare that burned up most of the Earth's surface.  She joins him on his quest, hoping to understand and benefit from the source of his goodness.

Despite its sci-fi feel and unbelievable action sequences, this film is really about faith versus power.  Carnegie's plans for the book versus Eli's suggest the real intentions of their hearts - one hopes to use the book as a weapon, the other hopes it will help bring about a new, spiritually mindful race of humans.

The Hughes Brothers are known for crafting visually interesting films, and this one is no different.  A sepia tint helps support the bleak feel of a post-apocalyptic world, and long action sequences with zero to very few cuts are unbelievable...especially for film nerds like myself.  "The Book of Eli" is rated R for some pretty disturbing imagery and some language, and it opens today in theaters all over the bay area.