A lukewarm visual rendition of a gripping book

Rating: 6/10 (26 December 2006)

For me, having read the book recently was a big spoiler. All I could do is yawn through all the predictable twists of the movie. The only parts that kept me somewhat interested were in fact the parts where the story didn't exactly follow the book.
But then I realized that I had seen before movies based on books that I have read, and that doesn't necessarily steal the charm of a movie, however faithful to the storyline in the book. This particular movie, though, had nothing extra to offer apart from what is already in the the book: no great acting, no chemistry between the main characters, no stunning action or settings, no moving visuals, gripping pace or wise lines. Nothing, zero. Moreover, I felt that half the magic of the book was gone, with all the detailed explanations and historical curiosities left out. The movie is barely a skeleton of a gripping and rich book.
On the other hand, having read all the reviews beforehand, I felt that the movie wasn't that bad as it was portrayed, after all. It was just lukewarm, that's all. Certainly, a movie which should have been directed differently.