The Da Vinci Code Review

by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)
May 28th, 2006
"The DaVinci Code" - Somewhere between Knight and
Dei
by Homer Yen
(c) 2006

What really is the Holy Grail? Was the church
founded on a lie? Is there a trail of historical clues that may unravel a mystery that has
simmered since the time of Christ?
"The DaVinci Code" plays like a scavenger hunt
through the annals of time with clues strung
together by the likes of the Christian Church,
Sir Isaac Newton, and even Leonardo DiVinci.

Helmed by the steady hand of Director Ron Howard,
he elevates this potboiler of a mystery from the
pages of this worldwide best-selling novel. You
will admire the film's handsome qualities; the
film visits exotic and historically relevant
sights. You will admire the film's tone; the
film forwards a provocative theological premise
that becomes more intriguing as it progresses.
And, you will admire the film's style; it has an engaging cloak-and-dagger feel although it lacks
the pulse-quickening action that summer filmgoers
may have come to expect.

The journey to find the historical truth begins
when a bizarre murder in the Louvre leads to a troubling revelation about a conspiracy within
the Catholic Church. On the case is Professor
Langdon (Tom Hanks) who is an expert in theology
but who is in need of, perhaps, a lesson in
charisma. Also of some help is a cute
cryptologist Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou) from
the local French police department.

Of particular fun in fueling this controversial
story is their visit to Grail expert Leigh
Teabing (the always-avuncular Ian McKellan). He provides a fascinating dissection of the artwork
known as the Last Supper and regales us with
notions about Mary Magdalene, The Knights
Templar, The Opus Dei sect, and even Jesus
Christ. This scene itself might be worth the
price of admission (or at least a trip to the
local art gallery). But not everyone is so
helpful and their quest is invariably interrupted
by a dogged French inspector (Jean Reno) and a masochistic, penitent assassin (Paul Bettany). Bettany's sympathetic performance is one of the
best in the film, as is that of Ian McKellen, who delivers a crafty turn as an obsessive Grail
hunter.

Oddly, while the film is watchable, what this religiously-toned film is missing is conviction.
Ron Howard treads the material very gingerly and
seems almost apologetic in its ability to get his story moving. It looks like he's tried to soothe
some of the misgivings of Christian groups. Thus
it has sometimes as much decidedness as Bush's middle-of-the-road stance on immigration. Also
ironic is the film's treatment of the female
lead. As the film goes to great length to
explain the power of the Grail, you would expect
more from Audrey Tautou other than her just being
a helpful sidekick.

I don't know whether I actually enjoyed the
experience of watching the film itself as it
unfolded over the 2 1/2 hours on the big screen.
This is certainly not the Holy Grail of the
summer bunch. The path of clues seemed so
convoluted at times that you'd wonder if anyone
would ever be able to decipher it. But the aura
of mystery is undeniable, it always seemed to be
on the edge of a startling revelation, and the
ideas are fascinating.

Grade: B

S: 0 out of 3
L: 0 out of 3
V: 3 out of 3

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