Almost as enjoyable as the novel

Rating: 7/10 (22 May 2006)

Having read Chris Tookey's very disparaging review in the 'Daily Mail', I was of two minds to see this film. I'm glad I decided to ignore Tookey and see for myself as, having enjoyed the film, I now suspect he was allowing his own right-wing prejudices and snobby nature to colour his view of the film as a number of others have done.
Based on Dan Brown's best-selling novel, 'The Da Vinci Code' sees Professor Robert Langdon, a leading American symbologist, caught in the midst of a baffling mystery when he is suspected of murdering Jacques Sauniere, the curator of the Louvre. Determined to clear his name and discover the truth over the clues Sauniere managed to leave behind before he died, Langdon joins forces with the victim's granddaughter Sophie Neveu. But on their trail is sinister monk Silas as Langdon and Neveu soon discover there are those who are not ready for secrets dating back to the era of Jesus Christ to be brought to light...
I wasn't sure of Tom Hanks being cast as Langdon at first as he was a decade older than I would have preferred but, as usual, he rose to the occasion, depicting the honourable, quiet and refined nature of the character. Audrey Tautou was equally as good as Neveu, managing the English dialogue without mangling it while also portraying both the character's inner strength and her vulnerability and uncertainties. However, it was Ian McKellen who stole the show as Sir Leigh Teabing, the scholar who has deceptive schoolboy enthusiasm for all things to do with the Holy Grail. McKellen seemed to have had much fun filming, completely throwing himself into the role. Also, highly noteworthy was Paul Bettany, completely unrecognisable as the unhinged albino Silas, and Jean Reno as the single-minded Captain Fache, determined to get his man.
Like all film adaptations based on novels, this film isn't quite as good as the original source. The ending in the book was far superior compared with the ends scenes of the film, particularly the Roslin reunion where those who haven't read the book might not be so clear who the caretaker of the chapel was. The romantic tension between Langdon and Neveu in the novel was more of a sibling bond in the film, which did work better considering Hanks was a good decade older than the Langdon of the book while Tautou looked about five years younger than Neveu was depicted. There is nothing worse than seeing an ageing film star passing himself off as a young stud so I'm glad my stomach didn't have to contend with the inklings of a sexual chemistry between Hanks' Langdon and Tautou's Neveu!
That said, in many other ways the film was very faithful to the novel and even used imagery to convey points that may have been hard to imagine in the written form, such as how the painting of the Last Supper linked with the theories of the film. It also preserved every piece of evidence, complete with explanation, relating to Langdon and Neveu's quest so one didn't have to have intimate knowledge of mythology or the novel itself to follow the plot.
All in all, 'The Da Vinci Code' is a fun detective film with a unique twist, retaining the excitement and thrills that made the novel such a page-turner. Don't allow overly-harsh critics put you off and judge for yourself whether it makes the grade. As for the Vatican's stance on the film, I would have some sympathy for them if they actually put as much effort into hunting down the paedophillic priests in their flock as they do in protesting over a fictional book/film.