Finally managed to catch the Da Vinci code last night and it must be said I have never entered a movie hall more confused than for this one. On the one hand I loved the book, where mom disagrees, and on the other hand I had one set of friends telling me they loved the movie and another set saying they hated it.
Wiping the slate clean is not something I am really good at. With all that background I must say I really enjoyed the movie. Nothing surprised me and in hindsight that might be one of the reasons a few ppl didn't like me cos you whats going to happen if you have read the book. But I thought it was wonderfully photographed and Ron Howard being a pretty conventional director, doesn't surprise you too much.
I think if you are the kind of person who can actually concentrate for 2 hours or so to try and figure out whats happening ( if you haven't read the book), you'll definitely enjoy the movie.
There might be others looking to go to a movie to eat some popcorn and chat with their friends about the ranuchy or funny scenes ... well nothing for you guys unfortunately.
Audrey Tautou has been a favorite since Amelie and she is immensely good as Sophie. She brings the necessary innocence, incredulance and feistiness required.
Tom Hanks to be quite frank, was a let down. Thinking from the director's point of view ... I am guessing he told Tom we don't have any real dramatic scenes for you here and so lets just underplay the character throughout .... and if that was the aim it was done superbly. My only issue with this being that in Dan Brown's books Langdon has already been established as the thinking man's Indiana Jones, so you do expect a little more energy in the character.
There are very few scenes where he is genuinely surprised and this may be because they are trying to show that in his head most of the puzzle has already fit together, but I am not so sure abt that. After all Teabing only introduces Langdon to the concept that the Holy Grail is not the chalice but the sacred womb of Mary Magdalene, and Langdon should be shocked but he is just surprised. Just a few touches missing here and there.
Silas i thought would be more of a hulking individual but the guy has definitely acted well.
The movie does lack in solving the puzzles mentally for us and that is for sheer lack of time. If he had a 5 hr canvas to do this movie it could have been the book verbatim but thats the problem the screenplay writer always faces. Poor chap had to live up to writing the screenplay for the second most published book in history. He had no chance.
Overall the movie was 3 stars outs of 5 , and in my opinion the book is 5 out of 5. My mom thought the book wasn't very well written but I couldn't put it down after I started it, so i thought it was a mighty fine read.
There was a disclaimer in the end saying that all characters are fictitious etc .... and the Censor board in India even put that notice at the beginning of the movie if I am right. In spit of that I hear TN and AP have banned it. Absolutely ridiculous. More absurd than the Rs. 2 per kg rice. Do these ppl even know what freedom of expression means ? As in the case of Aamir Khan .. apprently you shouldn't show or say anything that goes against popular opinion. This must be what Galileo felt like when the church was persecuting him. After all the earth was round.
Well my interest in the whole topic has been revived again and I have already made notes of 4 books to read up to research the history of the church and how the whole Jesus mysery panned out. lets see what wall that drives me to climb.
Till later.
Adios amigos.
M ( that looks like the female symbol between two legs, doesnt it ?? .. weird position though)
