Entertaining!

Rating: 7/10 (31 May 2006)

What is the problem with everyone and this book/film? No-one has a good word to say about either, and I'm puzzled because I enjoyed 'em both! Okay, so they're not great literature - but I personally don't know many people who read Shakespeare in bed at night or go to see filmed stage versions of Hamlet and the like, although I've no problem with those who do. It's horses for courses and we don't all have to like the same things! I would say, I also noticed the arm thing but it was a trivial hiccough in an otherwise beautifully filmed and reasonably acted bit of entertainment. Langdon is an academic, not a special agent and I don't think there necessarily has to be a sexual chemistry between him and Sophie. To me, he came over as what he was; a staid academic thrown into a dangerous situation and trying to deal with it - I'd have been a bit off my best too! I thought the driving scenes were brill (...reminded me of me...) and I have to say Silas' self-chastisement made me physically shudder! Paul Bettany was at once a chilling religious psychopath and a damaged child (...which I feel could have been explained a bit more....). I do, however, feel that viewers who have read the book may enjoy it more than those who did not, as it is quite an involved plot to squeeze into a two hour film. I do normally sit there whispering 'that's not right - look at that - you wouldn't see one of those there...' etc. etc. but the fact that I was able to suspend this irritating trait for two hours tells me it wasn't that bad!