‘The Book of Eli’ • 3 out of 5 stars
The filmmaking Hughes brothers haven’t exactly kept their names in the mix since “Menace II Society” put them on the cinematic map 17 years ago.
Contributions in the past decade include “Dead Presidents,” “From Hell,” “American Pimp” — you get the idea. The siblings can’t be bothered with peaceful, feel-good fare; their order of business is of the rough-and-tumble variety.
So it goes with “The Book of Eli,” a post-apocalyptic chronicle of an ostensible road warrior (Denzel Washington), who carries a prized version of the Good Book wherever he roams. It’s been three decades of traversing wastelands, but Eli remains on a mission and armed to the teeth with a sacred backpack, gun, bow-and-arrow and a Walkman. (Standard reply when asked where he’s going: “West.”)
Protecting his sacred tome, one that purportedly will save humankind, proves beyond challenging. Our peripatetic hero lays waste to a band of rogues before reaching an Old West-style town ruled by the sinister Carnegie (Gary Oldman of “The Dark Knight”), who also happens to be a ravenous reader. And guess which book he demands to get his hands on?
Brightening up the bleak, testosterone-filled landscape are Carnegie’s blind companion (lovely Jennifer Beals) and her daughter (Mila Kundis), the latter of whom strives to accompany Eli.
The dangerous road ahead grows more perilous as the antagonist’s crew won’t stop pursuing the book. Clearly, the Hughes brothers are having a grand old time, conjuring up warzones and staging barren backdrops around New Mexico with dusty and copper-tinged cinematography. The narrative, hashed out by novice screenwriter Gary Whitta, follows the tried-and-true plot conceit of obstacles standing in one’s way. Any soundtrack or score is wisely kept to a minimum, as ought to be the case given the story’s dismal circumstances.
Washington, last seen in the more reserved role of a subway dispatcher in “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3,” cuts a considerable presence as the unrelenting hero. For long stretches, dialogue remains spare; even when pressured, his character maintains composure. Essentially, the actor must stay earnest and go through the motions. Who better than Washington in this scenario?
Oldman, though over-emoting as he is prone to do, makes for a fascinating foil, while Kunis (“Extract”) is a revelation, standing her ground without taking attention away from the big names. There’s also a compelling cameo from musician Tom Waits (concurrently in “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus”) as an engineer. For my money, his subtle exchange with Washington comprises the film’s finest moment.
Accurately predicting where “The Book of Eli” ends up will likely be a lost cause, so don’t waste much brainpower trying. The Hughes brothers have served up a rigorous and engaging ride that goes too far as it comes to a stop.
‘The Lovely Bones’ • 3 out of 5 stars
Crafted from Alice Sebold’s acclaimed novel (which I haven’t read), “The Lovely Bones” has one thing in its favor, out of the gate: One of the best titles in months.
Director Peter Jackson, who never needs to work again thanks to his “The Lord of the Rings” triology, oversees this fantastical drama — at once disturbing and other-worldly — with similar vision. It isn’t as if the filmmaker hasn’t tackled the subject of murder before; images from his “Heavenly Creatures” stick with viewers 16 years later.
This time, a teenage girl (Saoirse Ronan) from a middle-class suburb disappears after school, thanks to a creepy neighbor (Stanley Tucci) who coaxes her into a “playroom” he has constructed underground.
When their daughter fails to return home, the parents (Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz) are distraught but determined and begin to work with a detective (Michael Imperioli of “The Sopranos” fame) whenever time permits. A superfluous character, the wife’s tipsy mother (Susan Sarandon) comes calling to help with housecleaning and babysitting.
Prior to her death, the girl is nicely highlighted in a preface that reveals she has a crush on a poem-loving classmate and never experienced a romantic kiss.
That would seem to be the gist of the story, if not for several magical, dreamlike sequences that depict the late heroine in a sort of limbo. The filmmakers unveil heavenly images amid gorgeous settings, whereupon the young lady comes to meet others of her kind (i.e. victims).
Although I can’t vouch for how those fantasy clips read on the page, it’s fair to say they translate disproportionately to the screen, tilting the narrative scale out of balance. What begins as a sweet novelty eventually becomes a syrupy nuisance.
“The Lovely Bones” benefits from the fine work of a few key participants: Tucci, on the heels of serving as the dutiful husband in “Julie & Julia,” does an about-face here and is utterly convincing while tooling around in a calm, dispassionate manner; Ronan is as wide-eyed, toothy and sincere as required; and Imperioli slips into the cop’s shoes with the greatest of ease. Imperioli also finds himself within the best scene: When the officer and suspect simultaneously examine the latter’s doll house, they’re ostensibly observing one another’s eyes and glances through the structures’ miniature windows.
Jackson doesn’t give short shrift to timeless themes: love, loss and the ties that bind. Perhaps showing reverence to the admired bestseller, co-writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens stretch on tiptoes to extend fairy-tale moments of the girl watching over her family and the psychopath.
The upshot leaves us with a movie that borders on lovely, all right – while lingering about 15 minutes too long, for no discernible reason.