An Unusual Review

Rating: 9/10 (4 January 2007)

If I ever have the pleasure of meeting Tom Hanks I probably owe him an apology. Often times a movie will be released and receives so much hype from critics and movie goers that if I don't see it within the first 48 hours of its release I won't see it for quite some time. I'm not sure there is any logical explanation for this. Perhaps I get tired of people quoting and/or talking about the movie. Perhaps I fear that the hype surrounding the movie will only spell disappointment for me as I sit in the theater. For this reason I didn't see Rain Man for at least 10 years after it was released in the theaters. For this reason I will probably never see any of the Austin Powers movies.
This has happened to me twice with Tom Hanks and I now own 9 of his movies. I didn't see Forrest Gump for the first time until a year or two ago. The second was The Da Vinci Code which I just finished watching for the first time. Now, this movie is still pretty recent and is actually still considered a new release on DVD. This is one movie I should have seen in the theater for the set pieces alone! I guess this is as good a time as any to mention that I have never read the book and probably never will (sorry Dan Brown). I don't read fiction, which is not to say I don't read. I know that much of the criticism this movie has received is based on how closely it follows the novel.
This is an argument that will never end and it's one I don't quite understand. We're talking about two completely different mediums that satisfy and stimulate two completely different parts of our brains. People that whine and complain about how much better a book was than the movie that followed are totally unrealistic. Books have an unlimited amount of time (pages) to discuss the smallest of details. The same people that bemoan movies for not being true to the book from which they were adapted would no more enjoy sitting in a movie theater for 4 hours watching the sincere version of the story that they were hoping to see.
All that being said, I think The Da Vinci Code is a superb movie. If you've read the book and seen the movie yet feel the movie was "lacking" ask yourself this. If you'd never read the book, how would you feel about the movie? How can you not enjoy this movie. I suppose that is the challenge a director like Ron Howard and an actor like Tom Hanks face when making a movie from a book that was so widely read as The Da Vinci Code.
There really isn't enough room here to discuss plot points and most of you reading this probably already know the gist anyway. Just know that this is a fantastic thriller. I'm not terribly religious so I had no personal objections to the content. The twists and turns keep you guessing until the very end as quality movies of this kind should.
As I said the set pieces are gorgeous. The directing is top notch (the ever reliable Ron Howard rarely disappoints) and the acting is everything you'd hope for and expect from one of our greatest actors, Tom Hanks. I firmly agree with those who compare Hanks to Jimmy Stewart as today's version of the "every day hero". Audrey Tautao stands toe to toe with Hanks in the role of Agent Sophie Neveu.
This movie is one that I am sure to view several times over the course of the next month trying to soak up all the clues and details that I missed during the first viewing. I'd also read several reviews that stated the movie was too confusing to follow. Not so at all. I had no problems following the movie or understanding what was going on. That being said, there is a lot to take in.
I think what confuses me the most about those who are fans of cinema yet did not like this movie is that The Da Vinci Code is a movie fan's movie. It's a thrill ride from start to finish that relies very little on special effects and when they are used they are used very tastefully to help further the advancement of the plot.
If you're expecting to be satisfied in the same way you were when you read The Da Vinci Code my advice is to wait for Dan Brown's next novel. If you are in the mood to enjoy a thrilling movie that excites on every level a movie should than The Da Vinci Code is sure to please.