A Soulless and Boring Adaptation

Rating: Null/10 (26 December 2008)

Being such a huge admirer of the book and having heard so many negative comments regarding the film, my expectations of this movie were low. Howard tries to do right by the book but he seems to have lost track of the fact that for a story to work, it needs a heart. This is where 'The Da Vinci Code' grossly fails, in my opinion. There are some dazzling visuals, stunning locations and a good score but the pacing is slow and this is not good for a long movie. I do not have problem with a long time length as long as a movie can keep me engaged but this one just drags forever. I actually fell asleep after the first hour (part of this could be due to the fact that I was tired as I rarely doze off during a movie) so I just continued the next day. Tom Hanks is mostly wooden and perhaps miscast. His chemistry with Tautou is non-existent in the first hour but picks up eventually (thanks to the female lead). Audrey Tautou is quite alright. Jean Reno plays the typical French copper (but I cannot picture anyone else for the part). Paul Bettany is unrecognizable and suitably menacing. Ian McKellan is great. To add to the positive side, the art direction is impressive. I liked how the interiors and architectural designs looked. France and England looked great too. Well, that's about it. Many people who have liked the movie seem to have not read the book but I would suggest that one read it because it has far more to offer than this film ever will.