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THE DA VINCI CODE |
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By : Suzanne Philips |
Movie Reviews List | |
| THE DA VINCI CODE Directed by Ron Howard(Cinderella Man) Written by Akiva Goldsman, Screenplay (Cinderella Man) Dan Brown, book Starring Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou (Amerie), Paul Bettany (Wimbledon), Ian McKellen (LOTR, X-men), Alfred Molina (Spider Man 2), Jean Reno (Ronin) Rated PG-13 Running Time 2 hours 29 min THE DA VINCI CODE is based on the best selling novel by Dan Brown which theorizes that Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a child and a secret society has been trying to protect this secret for thousands of years. Leonardo Da Vinci was a member of this society and left clues in many of his famous works to lead people to the holy grail - the sarcophagus of Mary and the descendents of the bloodline. The book has always been controversial and the film has now become so. Having purposely not read the book prior to seeing the film, I went into DVC with an open mind. The biggest thing I don't understand about the uproar is that this is, in fact, a work of FICTION. THE DA VINCI CODE is a Novel, not a History book. Much like X-Men or Spider-Man or any other film, this is not a true accounting of events that actually took place. Unless you think Spidey exists....and if you do....well I just can't help you there. I found myself wanting to learn more about the history of Christianity and the associated legends and myths. I think anything that provokes a dialogue is a good thing. I mean wouldn't many wars have been avoided and conflicts resolved if people just communicated? The theme that struck me the most in this project was that for as long as humans have existed, people have been doing horrible things in the name of a God or their religion. What I liked from a spiritual standpoint was that each of these characters truly believes that what they are doing is the right thing. Most of them are not doing it for their own glory or gain, but for the good of the church or society in which they believe. I like that Brown takes from History certain true events but bends them to fit into his work. While all of the actors are quite good, I found Sir Ian McKellen and Paul Bettany to be standouts. They are really captivating and you can see that their characters truly believe in what they are seeking. Ron Howard did a nice job with the directing. The locations are beautiful and the colors are right and vibrant. He utilizes a ghost-like effect to show historical figures meshed in with his modern-day actors which is a pretty cool idea. I like how the flashback sequences have a certain sepia-tone quality to them. The script was a little taxing at times, only because the mystery is explained for you ad nauseam. I would have liked to seen the story unfold by what was happening instead of a character explaining to me what I had just seen. Give the audience a little credit for intelligence! I did like that the French and Italian characters actually spoke in their own languages and were subtitled. I hate when films give the impression that everyone the world over speaks English to each other every day! Its a good film. A little long at over 2:20, but interesting and though provoking. 4 out of 5 |
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