Rated 7 out of 10 on the spiff-o-meter
I read the book a couple months ago and loved the plot. It was face
paced and exciting. The only thing was that the prose was lacking in
depth and refinement. It seemed rough in comparison to how smooth the
plot was. This gave me hope that the movie would be wonderful. The
plot was wonderful and exciting. In a visual medium it could rise
above the limitations of the book's prose and become something truly
awesome. The cast as far as I was concerned was terribly talented, so
as long as they stuck to the book, it should be good.
Well, they stuck more or less faithfully to the book, and it wasn't as
good as I'd convinced myself it could and should have been. In the
translation to the big screen I think some of the tension of the story
got left out, along with the how of the who-done-it ending. I was
also rather disappointed at the main female lead, Audrey Tautou's
performance. It lacked the passion that I heard in the character's
voice when I read the book. It's probably just a difference in
interpretation, but I didn't hear any of the warmth or vulnerability
that I expected to see in Sophie Neveu. Tom Hanks did your standard
Tom Hanks good job as Robert Langdon.
There were two truly standout performances in The DaVinci Code. One
of those would be the one that everyone is talking about: Ian
McKellen. The more I watch movies with him, the more convinced I
become of his brilliance. No matter the movie, he just blends
seamlessly into it and just chews up the scenery, stealing any scene
he's in from the other actors. The other amazing performance is by
Paul Bettany as the murderous albino monk, Silas. He manages to
capture the reverence, penitence, and conflict in Silas perfectly.
There were two things that I think detracted from my enjoyment of this
movie. The blame for the first one rests squarely on my shoulders for
having such high expectations going into it. The second thing was the
runtime. The movie felt very long, which I think messed with the
pacing. It should have felt fast and exhilarating in order to be
pulled off properly.
As for all the hype of it being the best modern tale told I humbly
disagree. It is a very entertaining and well-honed plot, but it is far
from the best piece of fiction that I've read in the modern era. If
you haven't read the book, by all means go see the movie. It's fun,
if a little long. If you're going into it expecting to see something
better than the book, kick your expectations down a few notches and
then go see it.
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