When it finally ended, I recall smiling and giving the arm rest of my seat a good thump as I, myself, had triumphantly solved the whole thing.

Rating: 9/10 (19 May 2006)

Having never read the book on which this film is based, I can safely say I hold no bias in either direction one might steer when gauging it's value. I watched this movie with an open mind and simply sought to be entertained. And I must say, despite a few odd things I noticed during my viewing tonight, I was thoroughly entertained throughout.
Firstly, let me say that the music here did not stick out for me until the end, as which point it was the driving force behind all you could see. The main theme to this film is beautiful. You'll find yourself humming it as you leave the theatre, I do not doubt. Onto the characters...
Tom Hanks did not strike me as the man who was born to play this role. He is, of course, a professional through and through and I got the feeling that he did the best he could. His character, however, did not seem suited to him. Mr. Hanks just does not strike me a deep thinker, not on this magnitude, although he does pull off a very casual method to it all as I imagine a genius would adapt. There are scenes where Mr. Hanks is in deep or frenzied thought, trying to sort through a puzzle of some sort in order to progress to the next step, and I can quite honestly believe that he is sorting it all out at the pace that is suggested. I credit the use of computer graphics for this more than his acting (the use of CGI was very well done here and showed us exactly what was on his mind and how he went about solving it). He doesn't give too much away by thinking aloud, nor are we expected to come up with it all ourselves. We're shown his thought pattern so he doesn't have to tell us and, so long as you are not an idiot, you can easily see where he is going and in most cases arrive at the same conclusion as he.
Audrey Tautou's character did little for me. Serving as the character who asks all the questions that we, the audience, would like answered, she can certainly communicate a sense of motivation. Her character seems surprisingly simple until the last legs of the movie, where more focus is mercifully placed on her and we can truly begin to appreciate her. One funny little thing bothered me though, and that is her character's apparent superhuman driving ability. How she got as good as she did is never shared, nor does it seem we're expected to wonder about.
Paul Bettany did a fantastic job here. As a fanatically faithful servant of God, one willing to go so far as murder to uphold ancient tradition, he brilliantly conveys a man lost in his faith. A troubled character to be sure. I found myself pitying him not long after his introduction. A maimed and tortured soul to be sure.
Ian MaKellen steals the show the moment you hear him. The man is quite brilliant, and having him play a brilliant man was a logical and wise choice. Combine his earthly wisdom with some great lines (he made me laugh more than once) and you have a truly great character to watch and grow attached to.
The pacing of this film was spot on. I never felt rushed nor did I ever feel I was being dragged down. I received all the information I needed to appreciate the plight of the characters and I felt quite satisfied when a pivotal moment or clue is passed. I watched this film alongside my two cousins (who both enjoyed the movie as much as I) and was surprised to learn the movie is as long as it is. When it finally ended, I recall smiling and giving the arm rest of my seat a good thump as I, myself, had triumphantly solved the whole thing.. I loved the ending to this film, especially the music.
I need to get that soundtrack!