Went Beyond My Expectations

Rating: 9/10 (16 May 2016)

All the bookworms might put me in jail and throw away the keys but I'm here to confess that I had never read the controversial novel by Dan Brown. When I first saw "The Da Vinci Code" I just walked in with a clear mind and a clean slate. People might hate for it, I saw the movie before I ever had the the chance to read the book. I may not be the only one, but at least I'm coming clean with you all. From what I've watch I'm pretty sure Brown must have some keen eye on artistic intentions and has high interests in prose. Friends tried to get me to see this movie just to see what all the fuss was about, even though I never got around to reading the book. From words of people who did read the novel, the script by Akiva Goldsman, pretty much follows through most of the important parts of the novel which in itself could potentially ensure with some level of satisfaction.
After seeing it for the first I was absolutely very fond of this movie. It didn't waste time introducing the concept of the plot and it was executed quite nuanced and in full detail and once that was done the thrills just take off from there. In Paris, Louvre curator Jacques Sauniere (Jean-Pierre Marielle) has been murdered by an albino complexioned assassin named Silas (Paul Bettany) who's under the guidance of someone known as "The Teacher". That's when moody Harvard symbologist Dr. Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is requested by the French police to decipher the clues that led to Sauniere's death and the esoteric markings he's left behind. Police cryptographer Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou) also gets involved in the crime. Langdon's now been labeled as a primary suspect and is now on the run and the chase is on.
Langdon and Neveu seem to have different sets of enemies. The French law enforcement lead by Captain Fache (Jean Reno) seems to be hot on their trail and are inches from catching them. The other seems to be the Roman Catholic Church who seems to be hiding some sort of dark secret that can't be revealed. Silas along with the Bishop Aringarosa (Alfred Molina) join forces to bring our heroes down. The closest ally to our protagonists is Sir Leigh Teabing (Ian McKellen) to Robert and Sophie if the want to escape from their enemies and unraveling this encoded sacred secret. Only to know later what's really Teabing's motives are.
So now as I see it the genre has jumped from a murder mystery to crime-drama to becoming a religious mystery that will likely intrigue the inner theologian in you. There are a lot of suspenseful events leading to their chases and that is all right with me. The mysterious decoding will like spark my interests which is quite amazing. The actual Da Vinci code itself looks complex and very exhilarating as we the audience are left scratching our heads and the continual clues will like keep you glued to your seats. And the piecing together seem precise and never feels confusing and the pacing is well executed. There's some good dialogue to go along and never does it wear out its welcome. The imaginative imagery is an added addition and the flashbacks to historical events makes more sense in what our heroes are unraveling.
Maybe by not reading the book first might not have been entirely a bad thing. Those who have read the novel were harsh about this movie mainly because they're nitpicking at every error or inaccuracy about this movie. I feel if I did read the book it might have dampened my spirit about the movie. But I was hooked on this movie partially because I didn't read the book and expected the unexpected. I have some knowledge about the historical events to get enough information about what they're deciphering.
Overall, I had a lot of fun with "The Da Vinci Code". Goldsman's script ran at a respectable pace. Another factor is the originality of the story. It's a mystery thriller based not on crime or murder but on religious symbolism even with cops and crooks. And we can't neglect the thin linings between fact and fiction. And while the emphasis is based on religious relics like the Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, and asks the insightful question if the Holy Grail could be the balance that could change the world. Son in the end I'm pleased with a story that might trigger world reflection.