The wrong man for the job

Rating: 6/10 (22 May 2006)

It's obvious after seeing The Da Vinci Code that Ron Howard was the wrong man for the job. He just doesn't have a feel for the material. This is obvious from his casting choices. Tom Hanks is all wrong for Robert Langdon, never really understanding the character he is playing, the same for Audrey Tautou. The sense of urgency that made the book such a page turner is totally absent. That said, there are some good things, most especially Paul Bettany who captures the savagery, blind devotion and anguish of Silas, and Ian McKellan as Leigh Teabing who chews up the scenery as only a great English thespian can. And despite the two and a half hour running time, I was never truly bored, but I must admit I do love a good conspiracy theory so all the details didn't bore me. Still I do think there may have been a more imaginative way of conveying the information to a visual medium. Think of what someone like Spielberg could have done with this material. Maybe in 15 or 20 years a remake will be produced by a director who better understands the material. It's been known to happen (think "Lord of the Rings" 1978). Until then, and as someone once said, the book remains after all.