Enjoyable and thought provoking, but could have been better !

Rating: 6/10 (21 May 2006)

I have just seen the film. I did not read the book.

First and foremost I have to say this: I am a scientist and I also believe in God (who created everything, including life, and the process of evolution, and we all are, in a sense, indirectly His sons and His daughters) but I am not a Christian (I do not believe God is man, and man is God, and I do not believe in universal salvation, only individual) and I am not dogmatic. Therefore I cannot be offended. I am open to anything. With respect to what Jesus Christ is or was: I am convinced the great Jewish man Jesus of Nazareth really existed, and I accept many possible versions regarding his life.

With respect to the film: The film is watchable, and even enjoyable, though the plot is not always easy to follow. It is, unfortunately, not a great adventure, thriller, conspiracy, historical, philosophical, or detective film. The main flaw is the story, the sequence of events, the connections between various scenes. As a result, what is hard to believe is not Akiva Goldsman's and Dan Brown's thesis regarding Jesus and Christianity in general (I am willing to believe it), but their own story, i.e. the film itself. The acting also seems a little bit forced. Good performance, but I have seen them doing better in much more memorable films: Hanks ("Philadelphia", 1993), Tautou ("Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain", 2001), McKellen ("Richard III", 1995), Reno ("Leon", 1994). Prochnow ("Das Boot", 1981).

Watch and enjoy the film  great places in France and England to see in real life (faith was always at the origin of memorable art: painting, architecture), however, if, like me, you are not dogmatic and, at the same time wish to watch a much better film, watch "The "Last Temptation of Christ" (1988) with Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Barbara Hershey, directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Paul Schrader, music by Peter Gabriel, and based on the very good book by Nikos Kazantzakis, who also wrote Alexis Zorba, upon which the film "Zorba The Greek" (1964) with Anthony Quinn was made.