NMR: The Book of Eli

At this point I've grown a bit weary of all the post-apocalyptic films that Hollywood is offering, but this one is not terrible. In essence it plays more like a Western than an armageddon film. Starring Denzel Washington, as the man tasked with protecting a book and Gary Oldman as the man desperate to get it, these two great actors give strong performances. One of the things I didn't care for though is the disconnect between the film's message and the amount of violence depicted. This is one of the most graphic films that uses the word of God as its crutch. How much you like this film will most likely depend on your feelings on the film's ending. It provides a twist that is both clever and befuddling at the same time. I legitimately did not see it coming, so kudos to them for that. But the more I thought about what happened, the more I felt it made no sense whatsoever. At times, this film is very engaging, but the sum of the parts here doesn't add up to a whole lot. Rating: ***