‘Eli’ suffers from identity crisis (2/5)

Book of Eli

Starring: Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis
Directed by: Albert and Allen Hughes
Rating: R for some brutal violence and language.
Running time: 1 hour, 58 minutes.

Wow. What an awful way to kick off the 2010 film season.

I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a sci-fi geek at heart. Post-apocalyptic worlds, mythological beings and a darn good, complex story line just call out to me.

So where “Book of Eli” went so horribly, tragically wrong was when it decided to masquerade as an action flick. If it had learned to accept itself as a drama, this could have been a tolerable film. Instead, they try to mask the lack of any real depth with a lot of bullets.

The real shocker is how this superficial of a movie drew in A-listers like Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman and Michael Gambon.

Maybe they’re short for cash like the rest of us.

Washington stars as Eli, a dude who sure likes walking. Well, he’d better like it, because he’s been walking for 30 years, since the end of the ever-hinted-at war.

He’s headed West across a dreary desert landscape to deliver a book.

He travels alone and doesn’t let much get in his way of trudging along. He survives on whatever animal meat he can find (including the wandering cat) and the rare find of drinkable water.

Eli eventually finds his way to a small town along his route. He stops, hoping to repair some of his electronic accoutrements and barter for water. But after a fight scene with a biker gang and their leader (who reminded me oh-so-much of the Geico caveman), Eli draws the attention of Carnegie (Gary Oldman), an intelligent, older gentlemen who runs the joint.

Carnegie has a crew of illiterate flunkies who are on the constant task of finding “the book.”

It’s soon revealed that “the book” is in fact the Bible (the last Bible), and Carnegie plans to control the world with it (because, why not?).

And, lo and behold, Eli’s book is suspiciously similar to the sought-after tome ...

Bringing up the supporting cast is Mila Kunis as Solara, Carnegie’s stepdaughter, and Ray Stevenson as Redridge, Carnegie’s right-hand man.

I love them both, but not in this.

Mila Kunis, I can never take you seriously. You’re Jackie from “That ’70s Show” and I’m afraid it will stay that way for a very long time.

And Ray Stevenson, what happened? You were my idol as Titus Pullo in the TV series “Rome,” and now this?

The only reason to watch this film is for the actors and one admittedly awesome gunfight sequence. But what made that one scene so exhilarating was the fact that it didn’t allow Eli to simply flick the assailants away like flies. However, these are simply not enough cause to watch the movie.

The weak plot lends itself to many questions. Like where on Earth was Eli walking from that it took him 30 years to get to the California area?

And how did Carnegie know there was a Bible left?

And why is this guy in charge, anyway? Because he can read? Because he’s old? He doesn’t seem very intimidating to me (sorry, Gary), and if I were one of his lackeys I don’t see much stopping me from shooting him and taking over myself.

I don’t think I will ever accept a fight sequence where one guy takes on a large group and prevails without a scratch. Especially when chainsaws and guns are involved. So rather than trying to make the audience believe what’s happening, the Hughes Brothers decide to go for the sheer entertainment value.

Problem is, it’s only mildly entertaining.

But who cares about all of these loose ends, right? It’s an action flick, after all.

Had the Hughes Brothers taken “Book of Eli” on a different path, it could have been an extraordinary success. But concentrating on fight sequences over actual storyline won’t win over many fans.

Interesting that a film devoted to the Bible lacks any real soul.

2 of 5 stars

‘Locker’ focuses on people (4/5)

The Hurt Locker

Starring: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty
Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow
Rating: R for war violence and language.
Running time: 2 hours, 11 minutes.

One of the wonderful things about “The Hurt Locker” is that it isn’t used as an opportunity to spout politics. It’s about the people there who are trying to do their job and not get killed doing it. It’s about the people learning to get along with one another in an unbelievably intense, alienating world. It’s about the people finding out who they truly are. It’s about the people.

You might not expect such an acute war film from a woman director, but Kathryn Bigelow pulled it off spectacularly (as evidenced by all of the “potential Best Picture of 2009” chatter).

What took this movie from great to superb, however, was the camera work. The documentary-style feel that was injected into the film by cinematographer Barry Ackroyd will really throw you into the movie and put you at the edge of your seat (or hiding in it, if you’re anything like me).

The main focus of “The Hurt Locker” is Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner), who is the team leader of an Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit in the U.S. Army’s Bravo Company in Iraq around 2004.

James is assisted by the protective Sergeant JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and the unnerved Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty).

With the aid of a special bomb suit (which doesn’t seem to protect nearly as much as I would want it to), it is James’ responsibility to disarm the deadly, often hidden bombs that pepper the streets of Iraq.
As Sanborn and Eldridge quickly find out, their new team leader isn’t as scared of the bombs as he maybe should be, instead approaching them with confidence and zeal. This drive for adrenaline quickly puts James at odds with his team.

Renner shines as the rebel-without-a-cause James, striking the perfect balance between the morally ambiguous hero and the courageous but troubled regular guy.

While Renner is the obvious star of the film (and I hope he gets nominated for best actor for his role), I really loved Eldridge. His unsettled feelings and talks with the base psychologist truly connect the audience with the squad. I only wish that the filmmakers had spent more time on him, being the youngest and most impressionable and therefore being the one with the most innocence to lose.

“The Hurt Locker” was written by freelance journalist Mark Boal, who spent time traveling with an American bomb squad in Iraq. Boal compiled his experiences and observations into a screenplay, hoping to give a soldier’s perspective on the war.

The movie does a wonderful job of showing Iraq as not only a war zone, but also a place where many civilians live. The soldiers’ stress, frustration and fear are palpable during their interactions with the Iraqis in their attempt to sort out the civilians and the insurgents.

Sometimes they’re right. Sometimes they’re not.

While I can’t vouch for how realistic the film is (having never been in the Army or been to Iraq myself) I can tell you this: It sure feels real. Some critics have complained about the movie’s “lack of plot,” but how much of a plot is there in your life? Sure there are bits you can thread together, but isn’t life more of a moment-to-moment experience?

That’s how you’ll feel when you watch “The Hurt Locker.” And I hope you do.

4 of 5 stars

Happy to be ‘Up in the Air’ with Clooney (3.5/5)

Up in the Air

Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick
Directed by: Jason Reitman
Rating: R for language and some sexual content.
Running time: 1 hours, 49 minutes.

“Up in the Air” fits into one of my favorite movie niches — idealistic with an important sense of realism. It’s as much about tossing a life into the wind and seeing where the pieces land as it is about George Clooney’s debonair smile.

Clooney plays Ryan Bingham who is, in essence, a fire-for-hire. He is employed by a company that sells its services as “career transition counselors” — basically, they travel around the world to let people go. But the job serves as a convenient backdrop for the real destination of the movie — the discovery of Ryan Bingham.

Ryan is a man with no ties and no meaningful connections in his life. His Nebraskan “apartment” is bare save for the most absolute, primitive essentials, and his relationship with his sisters is strained at best and nonexistent in actuality. Ryan’s wallet is a testament to his true nature — stuffed full of prestigious and rare membership cards to hotels and airlines. His home lies in travel.

While on his firing sprees, Ryan also picks up “motivational” speaking engagements, encouraging attendees to erase from their lives all of the baggage that keeps them tied down — knick-knacks, furniture, entire homes and, at life’s heaviest, other people.

Ryan’s solitary philosophies are questioned by two women who crash land into his life, challenging his autopilot existence. One threatens his way of work (intelligent, upstart Cornell grad Natalie Keener, played by Anna Kendrick, who has found a way to fire people over the Internet, thus making Ryan’s traveling outdated and expensive); the other, his way of detachment (Vera Farmiga as fellow air nomad Alex Goran, who is looking for a casual, fun relationship and doesn’t anticipate the blossoming feelings within Ryan).

Although about half of the movie is dedicated to the Ryan-Alex “relationship,” I was much more intrigued by his interactions with young Natalie. By use of video conferencing, Natalie has removed the last human element in their career. In her eyes, the process of firing a person can be neatly diagrammed out in a flowchart. Ryan, panicked at the thought of being “grounded” in Omaha, is told to take Natalie on one of his final trips by his boss, Craig Gregory (a smug Jason Bateman).

Though Ryan’s motives seem honorable in wanting to make personal contact with those being fired in order to ease their pain, he never seems to truly believe that himself. His only goal in life is to collect 10 million miles on American Airlines and he uses his job as the perfect opportunity to work on his collection. Ryan is ever detached while Natalie is ever more drawn into the emotions of the people she is firing.

The movie strikes close to home with unemployment rates soaring across the country. And if the scenes with newly laid-off employees seem quite realistic, that’s because, apart from some noticeable famous actors, many of the onscreen former workers are real people who were recently let go from their jobs.

Clooney is at his prime — he makes a dreaded “career transition counselor” appear charming and engaging and a life as a vagabond seem oddly attractive as only he can. The movie wouldn’t have survived a trip with any other leading man.

As with any flight, the real star is the pilot — in this case, director Jason Reitman, mind behind the offbeat comedies “Juno” and “Thank You for Smoking.” Reitman’s adaptation of Walter Kirn’s novel proved interesting and captivating. “Up in the Air” is a great film to end the old decade and welcome in the new.

3.5 of 5 stars

Movies to look forward to in 2010

2010 is a year of fantasy and supernatural. Whether it deals with the gods (“Clash of Titans,” “Legion,” “Percy Jackson”) or witches, wizards and werewolves (“Harry Potter,” “The Wolfman”), Hollywood is looking to transport you from everyday America into a land of mythology. Here’s a look at some of the movies I’m most looking forward to watching this year:

• Youth in Revolt (Jan. 8; Michael Cera, PG-13) — “Youth in Revolt” is the irreverent story about the wild adventures of a teenage boy named Nick Twisp who meets the girl of his dreams while on a family vacation and has to turn his life and the lives of all those around him upside down in order to be with her.

• The Book of Eli (Jan. 15; Denzel Washington, R) — A lone hero named Eli must fight his way across the wasteland of post-apocalyptic America to protect a sacred book that might hold the key to saving the future of humanity.

• Legion (Jan. 22; Paul Bettany, R) — An out-of-the-way diner becomes the unlikely battleground for the survival of the human race. When God loses faith in Mankind, he sends his legion of angels to bring on the Apocalypse. Humanity’s only hope lies in a group of strangers trapped in a desert diner and the Archangel Michael (Bettany).

• The Wolfman (Feb. 12; Anthony Hopkins, R) — Lawrence Talbot, a haunted nobleman lured back to his family estate, sets out to find his vanished brother ... and discovers a horrifying destiny for himself.

• Alice in Wonderland (March 5; Johnny Depp, Not yet rated) — When Alice tumbles down, down, down a rabbit-hole one hot summer’s afternoon in pursuit of a white rabbit, she finds herself in the strange and extraordinary Wonderland, populated with strange and extraordinary beings.

• Clash of the Titans (March 26; Sam Worthington, Not yet rated) — The ultimate struggle for power pits men against kings and kings against gods. But the war between the gods themselves could destroy the world.

• Iron Man 2 (May 7; Robert Downey Jr., Not yet rated) — Under pressure from the government, the press and the public to share his technology with the military, Tony Stark is unwilling to divulge the secrets behind the Iron Man armor because he fears the information will slip into the wrong hands.

• Toy Story 3 (June 18; Tim Allen, G) — Andy is now a young adult, departing for college, and his toys, including Woody and Buzz Lightyear, are being sent to storage. Before his toys can be put in the attic, they are accidentally thrown away and are picked up by the garbage men. The toys find themselves at a local day-care center where they must try to survive pre-school children.

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I (Nov. 19; Dan Radcliffe, PG-13) — The final chapter of the Harry Potter film series begins as Harry, Ron and Hermione leave Hogwarts behind and set out to find and destroy the Horcruxes — the secret to Voldemort’s power and immortality.

Other movies that you’re sure to hear about this year are Russell Crowe’s “Robin Hood” (due out in May) and, as usual, a host of sequels that might have been better left behind: “Sex and the City 2,” “Shrek Forever After,” “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” “The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” “Saw VII” and “Jackass 3-D.”