The Da Vinci Code

We went we saw, we were impressed.  After having read and heard about all the criticism the Da Vinci Code had received I was more than a little concerned when going to see it, but well, the film was good/very good.  It does not deserve any of the criticism it has received in the press.

Where to start, well, first the book.  Now, it was quite some time ago when I read it, but from what I can remember of the book, the film is very faithful, so if you liked the book you will like the film.  The casting is very good, everyone gives a good performance, but I would say Paul Bettany does a wonderful job of bringing Silas to life on screen, he is exactly as I pictured from the book.  Jean Reno is excellent as Captain Fache, once again proving himself to be a great actor and Sir Ian Mckellan does a masterful job of bringing Sir Leigh Teabing to the big screen, whilst Tom Hanks and Audrey Tatou do good jobs in their roles, but then I’ve never been a big fan of Mr Hanks, feeling he’s a good actor but not quite up there with the true greats.

Now for the film, it is visually wonderful, and some of the best scenes in it are when you see the visualisation of Robert Langdon solving the puzzles laid out before him, a masterful piece of cinema, it’s fast paced at the start from the death at the Luvre to Robert Langdon and Sophie Nevue on the run from the police trying to solve the mystery, all the while Silas hotly on their trail.  The film really picked up when the seek the aid of Sir Leigh Teabing, and the film continues it’s pace almost until the end, but of course, just like the book, the film slows towards the end.

Overall this was a very good film, well worth going to see, especially if you liked the book.