The Book of Eli after 2 theater viewings

On second viewing (at the discount theater with a friend), I find it just as good, if not more. And is now officially a favorite (as I post more favorites, I will label them so). I do take issue with part of the ending, but besides that, it's a very meaningful journey of a film. While it doesn't shy away from violence, it doesn't shy away from God. And I thought the spiritual elements were well timed and not overplayed.

The casting is one area in which the film shines. Denzel is convincingly fervent. Gary Oldman shows a man who bends his will so heavily on others that it eventually springs back and wackes him in the face. He's unflinching and consumed. Mila Kunis may still be getting comfortable with movies (she's mostly been in TV), but she had a fitting posture. I'm glad she got the part over Kristen Stewart, who was first sought for the part. In other words, the conflict in schedules worked out for the good. And Mila's lack of eye shadow gives me more ease. Let's see who else...oh the gang leaders! Can't forget them. Their faces and voices said everything. Also, Ray Stevenson, the leader in Carnegie's gang, showed us he was not just one of the brute squad, he was a man. And lastly, Jennifer Beals' quiet way made her blindness that much more a reality. All this but the casting brilliance goes down to the level of the extras.

Amidst the bleak backdrop of a broken, empty world of desperate survival is this "post-apocalyptic tale which takes one on a journey that doesn't end until the promise is yes and Amen. It's not easy on the eyes to get there though.