Broken City

First Hit:  Disjointed in telling the story, OK acting, and in the end, not enough to make it worthwhile.

Try as I might, I didn’t see enough in the opening credits nor in the video tape review to make me believe that Billy Taggart (Mark Wahlberg) did something wrong or so wrong that the commissioner Carl Fairbanks (Jeffrey Wright) and Mayor Hostetler (Russell Crowe) tell him he must retire.

I guess I missed something and this part is important to the believability of the story. However, the film supports this premise, of the wrongdoing, by indicating that Taggart was a hop-head and drank too much during his time as a undercover cop.

The killing in question is of a young man who supposedly killed Natalie Barrow's (Natalie Martinez) sister. For his support, Natalie and her family embrace Taggart which includes Natalie living with him as boyfriend and girlfriend.

Mayor Hostetler runs the city of New York with an iron fist and with corruption based decisions. It’s done because this is the way cities work, or so they say. Anyway Taggart wants to make things right.

Wahlberg was good enough; it was the film’s story telling that let him down. Crowe was OK but it didn’t work for me. Wright was dark and puzzling in his role because you never really got that he cared about anything but holding on to his job. Martinez was OK as a minor character. Alona Tal (as Katy Bradshaw) as Taggart’s secretary was delightful and the best thing about the film. Catherine Zeta-Jones was OK as the disenchanted wife of Mayor Hostetler. Brian Tucker wrote a tired and uninteresting script. Allen Hughes directed this very forgetful film.

Overall: Wouldn’t recommend paying to see this film.

The Book of Eli

First Hit: This film was well made, well executed and very well acted.

The world has almost come to an end. Thirty years earlier, a flash of light was all anyone saw before it killed most of the people in the US (we assume the rest of the world as well). There are a few people who lived through the flash and they are now the elders.

Because it destroyed most everyone and everything, there are no schools, water is the most valuable commodity, and people are surviving anyway they can. Theft and brute force go along way towards obtaining what people want. There are few towns and one is controlled by Carnegie (played by Gary Oldman).

Oldman sends his henchmen out to find and collect all books. In particular he is looking for a specific book. This book, he believes, will give him the words to rule others, just like before the flash. The problem is that all copies of this book were either buried or burned.

Eli (played by Denzel Washington) possesses this book and is on a mission to deliver it out west. Voices told him he would know where to go and that he would be protected on his journey. Eli travels alone and wins all battles against the thieves and killers who want his water, food or book.

Eli happens into the town ruled by Carnegie who learns that Eli has the book he wants. Carnegie offers Eli everything to turn over the book and Eli responds that he knows when and whom to turn the book over to and Carnegie isn’t it.

The remaining part of the film is about Eli’s struggle to deliver the book to the intended audience.

Washington is perfect in this part. He is wise and smart enough to stay out of trouble while being agile and physically strong enough to handle the thugs who don't heed his warning. Washington’s intelligence and ability to keep the tone of the film from falling into scenes of good guy versus bad guy fights is faultless. Oldman as Carnegie is a stroke of brilliant casting. He commands presence during his scenes and keeps his role believable. As leader of the town, he is cognizant that leadership is always on a razors edge and he knows it, that’s why he wants the book. Albert and Allen Hughes directed this film with a wonderful touch. The scenes are not overly produced and complicated; they are direct without a lot of waste. The landscape represents just enough destruction and emptiness to provide the right backdrop to the world as it might be after we attempt to blow ourselves up.

Overall: This is an effectively done story and is definitely worth a watch.