Why the bad reviews?

Rating: 6/10 (24 May 2006)

I didn't find the movie to be Oscar worthy but very adept nonetheless. Howard does a good job of staying out of the way of the story, adding only a few very deft and subtle unique directorial touches. I was pleasantly surprised at how much French was in the film. I'm glad that Howard doesn't assume the audience won't be able to read the subtitles, because hearing the French police speak French adds a lot. Paul Bettany was simply brilliant. He has got to be one of the top actors currently working. Despite all the talk about their lack of chemistry, I thought Hanks and Tatou played very well together. For the most part, the movie stayed very close to the book. Just further proof that most movie critics have become too detached to appreciate a film that simply tells a story, without all the cute tricks.