Review: The Da Vinci Code (2006)

The Da Vinci Code
(c) 2006 Ray Wong (reelreviews.blogspot.com)



For the three people on Earth who haven't heard of either the book or
the movie, The Da Vinci Code, chances are they will soon. For the
millions who have read the book, the question is: How does the movie
compare to the book? For those who haven't read it, the question
becomes: Is it a good movie?

When the curator of the Louvre, Jacques Sauniere (Marielle), is
murdered, the French police, headed by detective Fache (Reno), enlists
American symbologist Robert Langdon (Hanks) to solve the mystery. It
looks like, before he dies, Sauniere has put himself in an unnatural
position and marked the scene with a riddle. When specialist Sophie
Neveu (Tautou) joins the inquisition, Langdon quickly learns that he is
the suspect for the murder. In order to clear his name, Langdon must
solve the puzzle and find the real killer.

Collecting and solving clues on their way, Langdon and Sophie gradually
discover the enormity of the "secrets" behind Sauniere's death. They
soon find themselves not only running away from the police and a
mysterious albino assassin (Bettany), but also going on a quest to find
the "Holy Grail." They seek help from Langdon's old friend, Sir Leigh
Teabing (McKellen), an English "Grail" historian. Together, they are
going to discover the greatest coverup of mankind.

While Hanks (The Polar Express) is a seasoned actor with a
mild-mannered disposition, he is miscast for the part of Robert
Langdon. He is too demure, reactive, passive and, surprisingly, wooden.
Even without reading the book, one could imagine Hugh Jackman or a
younger Harrison Ford in this intellectual but heroic role, not Hanks.
Luminous French actress Tautou (A Very Long Engagement) seems somewhat
lost in this English-speaking role as Sophie Neveu. Even though there
is no romance between Langdon and Sophie, the actors still lack certain
chemistry together.

On the other hand, Sir McKellen (X-Men 3) is fine as Teabing. He shows
a certain naiveté and child-like, disarming enthusiasm that suits the
role perfectly. Bettany (Firewall) is also excellent as the tormented
assassin, Silas, whose devotion to the Lord is tragically misguided.
His gaunt, pale face and body are creepy but mesmerizing. Reno (The
Pink Panther) does what he does best -- a French cop, even though his
role is rather minor. Rounding out the cast are Molina (Spider-Man 2)
as Bishop Aringarosa -- a bishop with a secret mission, Prochnow (The
Celestine Prophecy) as bank manager Vernet, Barteloot (Le Grand
Charles) as Teabing's butler Remy, Chicot (Imposture) as suspicious Lt.
Collet, and Marielle (The Return of James Battle) as Saundiere. They
are all good actors in relatively small roles.

However, we don't go to a movie like the Da Vinci Code to watch
Oscar-caliber performances. Goldsman (Cinderella Man) does a good job
adapting Dan Brown's highly convoluted and expository novel to the
screen. Certain parts of the film still feels confusing, especially if
one is not familiar with the novel. Also, the script favors more action
and less talk, which is both a merit as well a detriment to the story.
The action makes the film more exciting and suspenseful, but it also
takes away the intellectual intrigue of the central mystery that Brown
did so well explaining in the book -- the main reason why the book is
such an international sensation.

As with any thrillers, the plot twists come fast and furious, making it
impossible for the audience to stop and think through the logical
flaws. For example, why Sauniere would trust Robert Langdon -- a
complete stranger -- in the supreme secrecy that he's been protecting?
And what of Sophie? The risks Saundiere put her through in helping
Langdon suddenly doesn't make sense once the final piece of the puzzle
falls into place.

Director Howard (Cinderella Man) is a skilled, popularist filmmaker.
The Da Vinci Code reminds us of A Beautiful Mind in its dark, soft hues
and intellectual overtone. Howard uses cross-cutting effectively in
telling the story from many point of views. While the film still comes
across as confusing at some points, Howard does a good job streamlining
the plot to make it comprehensible. He also adds character quirks and
backgrounds for Langdon (he's claustrophobic) and Sophie (she has a
unique gift of calming others) to smooth out the otherwise
two-dimensional characters. While the intellectual and historical
expositions in the book can be interminable, Howard actually makes a
mistake by shortening and rushing through them, by using cheap digital
transitional effects. In doing so, the true intrigue of the story (and
not the run-of-the-mill treasure-hunt plot) is somehow lost. We want to
solve the puzzles ourselves, but Howard doesn't allow us. What excites
people about the story is not the wild goose chases or guns, but Robert
Langdon's ability to break codes and solve puzzles using his intellect
and knowledge, as well as the stories behind the mystery. As is, the
film is a few bits short of being a complete code of success.

Stars: Tom Hanks,Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Jean Reno, Paul Bettany,
Alfred Molina, Jurgen Prochnow, Jean-Yves Berteloot, Etienne Chicot,
Jean-Pierre Marielle
Director: Ron Howard
Writers: Akiva Goldsman (based on novel by Dan Brown)
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for disturbing images, violence, some nudity, brief
drug references and sexual content
Running Time: 149 minutes


Rating:

Script - 7
Performance - 7
Direction - 7
Cinematography - 6
Music/Sound- 6
Editing - 7
Production - 8

Total - 6.7 out of 10