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PRODUCER: |
Brian Grazer (Inside Man, Cinderella Man, A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13), John Calley (Closer, Postcards from the Edge) |
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If you’re willing to risk $8 and, according to some, a little eternal damnation, The Da Vinci Code may unveil something quite interesting . . .
The Da Vinci Code brings to the big screen the now infamous story told in the book written by Dan Brown. The movie begins when a curator at the Louvre is murdered. Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), being a world famous religious symbologist, is asked to come help the police investigate. Before the curator died, he left cryptic clues written in his own blood. Langdon is tipped off by a French woman cryptologist at the scene (Audrey Tautou) that he is in danger and must escape. It’s revealed that the murdered curator is really her estranged grandfather and she is sure he has left clues to a big mystery. The clues take the characters and the audience on a treasure hunt to reveal an enormous secret that could forever alter the spiritual beliefs of millions. They are never sure who they can trust because there are those that will do anything to learn the secret and there are those that will do anything to protect the secret. They venture across Paris and London to discover clues in places like Da Vinci paintings, hidden scrolls, Isaac Newton’s tomb, and remote castles and cathedrals. Finally, they learn that they can discover all the answers if they can just find the Holy Grail. The movie is an intellectual journey for the audience that is full of possibilities and speculations. The movie does justice to all the controversial aspects of the book with a bit of a variation in the end.
Much like the famous novel on which it’s based, The Da Vinci Code masterfully intertwines intriguing detail with fast paced action, creating both a compelling and convincing experience. Ron Howard finds some creative ways to tell a complicated story; and, though not his best acting performance, Tom Hanks is as likable as ever. As for the millions of avid Code fans, they’ll be relieved to know the adaptation superbly walks the very fine line between remaining true to the book while working in the extraordinarily unique medium of film. There are only a few minor modifications to the original story, and many of the book’s most memorable scenes are depicted exactly. Of course, if you’ve read the book, there won’t be a lot of suspense, but we can’t have it both ways! Unfamiliar fans of intrigue will enjoy, and Code-heads should be content with just seeing it on the big screen.
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