Drive (2011)

Drive (2011)

Directed by: Nicolas Winding Refn
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston
Trailer

It is quite possible that I am the only woman alive who does not find Ryan Gosling appealing. I don't dislike the man, but I have never felt strongly one way or the other, either about his acting or his looks. Frankly, he always looks rather sleepy to me. Recently, while saying this very same thing to a friend of mine (who happens to be a straight male), I received the usual jaw-open-in-disbelief response. He added, however, that the movie Drive would change my mind. Challenge accepted.

As the film opens on a sparsely-furnished apartment, we listen to Gosling's voice outlining the terms of a clearly criminal agreement to an unseen/unheard client. In the living room, a television set displays the score of a baseball game in progress. By the time this game is over, so is the job. If the name of the movie doesn't make it apparent, the audience now knows that Gosling's character is a getaway driver for hire. He is a pretty slick one at that, but of course we all knew he would be. As it turns out, Gosling (his character does not have a name) isn't just into cars when he's aiding and abetting. He also has a job as a mechanic AND a stunt driver AND he does a little stock car racing on the side. It seems our car guy is a loner without much of a social life. That is, until he meets his neighbor Irene (Mulligan) and her young son Benicio (Kaden Leos). Their budding relationship suffers a major downer when Irene's husband is released from prison. And while Standard (Oscar Isaac) is a little suspicious of Irene's new friend, he appears to be a fairly decent family man. Well, maybe not so much. It doesn't take long before some of his prison buddies come around to collect a debt. This debt, naturally, isn't one that Standard can pay and in steps our hero Driver to save the day. He agrees to do a little driving in the interest of keeping Irene and Benicio out of danger. So, the heist goes smoothly, nobody gets hurt, and all of the characters go home rich and happy. Well, maybe not so much.

I really did want to give this movie a chance. About fifty percent of it is made up of really fine elements that warrant serious credit. However, the other fifty percent of it consists of such colossally bad elements that they almost negate the positive ones.

To its merit, Drive was very nicely filmed with a few particularly stellar shots - Gosling's first entrance into his buddy Shannon's garage is a lovely example. The plot, although not a particularly original one, is carried out with a few detours from the typical testosterone-fueled, grand-theft auto, jock-fest. For that, the movie gets a good measure of respect. Irene is a pretty girl-next-door sort of person who doesn't spend any time jiggling her boobs for the camera. She and Gosling don't hit the sheets like horny teenagers either. I also enjoyed the driving in this movie. While there are moments of tire-squealing and metal crunching, there are also more subtle, graceful maneuvers that make the action seem a little more intelligent. (Pay close attention as Gosling executes the perfect parking job without the slightest glimpse at anything but the two suspicious characters strolling through the parking garage.)

On the flip side, what the eff is going on with the soundtrack in this movie? Let's set aside the fact I wouldn't be caught dead with a single track from it on my iPod. The volume and timing of the music is entirely inappropriate. It fades in at odd moments and doesn't add a single embellishment to the plot, mood or style of any scene. The lyrics are irrelevant. Now, I'm not implying that every song in a movie needs to have vocals that narrate the action. I am saying, however, that lacking all other aforementioned redeemable qualities, a song should at least speak to what's going on with the characters. 

Now that that's off my chest, let's talk about the nearly complete lack of interesting characters. Everyone in this movie is so incredibly bland! First of all, Gosling's character is the mysterious, brooding type. So, for approximately the first half of the movie he hardly changes facial expression. Granted, it adds to the mystery of who he is and what his past might be, etc., but it doesn't make for much in the way of exciting dialog. Irene isn't chock full of personality either. She is very quiet, polite, tentative, nervous. Apparently, there isn't much going on in her life that isn't domestic and there's no sign of a hobby or quirky character flaw anywhere. The husband, Standard is, ironically, the only character who surprised me. Despite being a hoodlum, he appears to genuinely care for his son and show appreciation and respect to his wife. While that should be the "standard" way for a man to treat his family, in the scope of action films, it's not the usual case for his type of character. All of the other characters are beneath mentioning.

I even have a problem with the opening credits. Was that Purple Rain font? WTF?

In summary, I felt about Drive the way that I still feel about Ryan Gosling, which is, "meh". It was just on the verge of being an exquisitely Grindhouse homage that truly honors the subtle greatness of the genre. Left to age, it could have been a cult classic in ten or so years. But, a few absurdly lame details wrecked this movie's potential ambiance. That, coupled with acting that could put a crack-head to sleep, left me truly disappointed. Sorry Ryan. Better luck next time.

Bechdel Test Results: Fail
Second Opinion

Hottie Rating: 3 of 5
Overall Rating: 2 1/2 of 5

The Devil's Backbone (2001)

a.k.a. El Espinazo del Diablo (Spanish title)
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
Format: On Demand
Starring: Íñigo Garcés, Eduardo Noriega, Federico Luppi, Irene Visedo, Fernando Tielve
Trailer

I'd first seen a trailer for The Devil's Backbone some years ago in an art haus theater. I don't remember what I'd gone there to see, but I remember keeping this Spanish movie in the back of my mind. So, on a dark and stormy recent night after a few martinis, I'd only barely convinced myself not to stop at the video store on the way home. On Demand, I reasoned, would have to suffice in the name of my budget (Grey Goose martinis are seldom cheap). But, I was lucky that night and happened upon The Devil's Backbone in the horror menu. It was just the perfect selection for my mood and one I'd seemed to have put off for too long. I remember seeing del Toro in person, at a special screening of an early film in Austin. Of course, he went on to direct Pan's Labrynth, so the credentials behind this movie are substatial.

Somewhere, in a rural area of war-torn Spain, there is an orphanage. An old widow, Carmen (played by Marisa Paredes), runs the boy's home with the gold left behind by her late husband. After, Carlos (Tielve) loses his father, family friends leave him in the care of Carmen. With his stash of comic books and wind-up toys, the boy makes fast friends. Jaime (Garcés) is the resident bully and he's not terribly impressed with Carlos, and maybe a little jelous. During his first night, Carlos learns that the orphanage harbors a secret - there's a ghost roaming about. He also learns that the young handyman, Jacinto (Noriega) has a thirst for gold. The war hovers nearer their doorsteps and yet their greatest threat may come from inside. Is it the little boy's ghost or the greedy Jacinto that will ruin them all? What horrible secret is Jaime privy to? Where is the gold hidden and who will come out of this place alive?

History not being my strong suit, I couldn't begin to tell you which famous Spanish war is raging in The Devil's Backbone. del Toro knows though, and he seems fond of showing its effects on children. In both this film and in Pan's Labrynth, he depicts the orphans of this particular entaglement. While not concentrating on the fighting itself, he chooses to explore the lives of who may have been left behind. I tend to sympathize with his choice. Often, history is told of heroes and noble generals, not the underestimated courage of people on the fringe. His focus is poinant and special.

No matter what language, good acting shines through. For a child actor, Ferando Tielve does an impressive job. The majority of the boys do what they do best - be boys. The best character by far, was Irene Visedo. She plays a tough, amputee widow with dignity and grace. Íñigo Garcés was a little less convincing and I think he was chosen mostly for his eye-candy factor (if you're into that sort of thing). His girlfriend, Conchita (played by Irene Visedo) is a noble character, but really little more than an ornament in this film. All around, half of the cast acted suburbly and the other half was so-so.

The Devil's Backbone is really a story within a story. The dual plot keeps things interesting and the perspective of the young characters makes the film refreshing. I liked the way the movie was shot, with plenty of dusty browns and shadows. I think the bomb might have been developed a little more as an aspect of the film. It's hinted at and maybe some of the symolism escaped me, but it could have played a bigger part. This movie is not as fanciful, even considering the ghost, as Pan's Labrynth and I believe that there was more room for that fantastic aspect. One thing's for certain though, I shouldn't have waited so long to see The Devil's Backbone.

Overall Rating: 3 1/2 stars
Hottie Rating: 1, maybe

Alternate Recommendation: Pan's Labrynth
Official SiteIMDB Page
The Austin Chronicle's review

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Dark Remains (2005)

Directed by: Brian Avenet-Bradley
Format: DVD
DVD Features: commentary, trailer, behind the scenes, deleted scenes, prison featurette
Starring: Cheri Christian, Greg Thompson, Scott Hodges, Jeff Evans, Patrick G. Keenan
trailer

(Thanks go to our reader Carrie for suggesting this review!)

The loss of a child is an event that parents deal with in different ways. Although sadness is a natural response, grief can manifest itself in many forms. Some people feel anger. Some blame themselves. Some turn to a higher power. If the parents in question happen to be in a movie though, two methods of coping are almost guaranteed to surface. One of them is watching a lot of home movies (do people still make those?) and the other seems to be moving.

When the daughter of Julie and Allen Pyke is murdered, the couple decides to rent a cabin in the hills. Mr. Pyke hopes that the relocation will provide a welcome escape and a place for his wife to recover. Julie makes her living as a professional photographer, but lost interest in her camera after the incident. With a little prodding, Allen convinces her to take a look around and try a few snapshots of the area. When she stumbles upon an abandoned prison, something strange develops. Friends of the Pykes come to visit and leave in a hurry. The cabin's hillbilly caretaker tips the couple off about the prior occupants and their grim fate. When Mr. Pyke does some digging at the town library, he discovers a string of strange deaths. It's looking more and more like the couple should vacate the premisis, but Julie has decided to stay.

Dark Remains looks very much like a low-budget movie shot with a high-budget camera. The colors are crisp and vibrant. The shots are steady and focused. While not particularly creative as far as angles and technique go, the cinematography is solid and doesn't suffer from an overdone arthaus effort (like Fay Grim). I can respect that. I can also respect a special-effects guy who's handy with the latex, spirit glue and red corn syrup. His skills are more readily apparent in the special features than in the actual film (which, perhaps, is the true test). Thank goodness the filmmakers went the old-fashioned way when it came to makeup, because if this movie had any cheap CGI, I don't think I could have sat all the way through it.

Now that the few redeeming aspects of Dark Remains have been identified, I can set to work tearing this thing apart (sorry Carrie). Where do I begin? Ah yes, the - "acting". Julie Pyke, greiving mother, is played by Cheri Christian. She seems terribly familiar to me and I thought I may have seen her as Will's love interest in Good Will Hunting. Turns out that character was played by Minnie Driver (both have that powerful jawline and chipmunk cheeks). Her character suffers from a lack of committment at best. Every time Julie announces that she refuses to do something or is determined to do another, it takes mere seconds for her to change her mind. There's no serious emotion expressed by this woman, aside from an exceptionally brief and barely tearful breakdown. As it turns out, Christian shares a cast listing in several other movies with Greg Thompson, who plays Julie's husband, Allen. Thompson his hardly a better actor. His character is more of a father than a husband, constantly following Julie around and demanding to know what she's doing. He's annoying and also boring. The only actor in this movie who is reasonably watchable is Scott Hodges. He does his best with the script as the backwoods caretaker Jim. In fact, I'm not so sure that the man isn't a creepy hillbilly in reality. I don't even want to go into the few supporting actors that remain. Maybe I should take it easy on the actors though. Maybe they aren't really to blame for the terrible characters. There is, after all, the horrible script to consider.

After watching Dark Remains, I'm left with a series of questions. 1.) How does Allen find his wife at the prison, in the dark, when he's never been there before? 2.) Shouldn't it be the county's duty to chain the doors of the abandoned prison closed, not Mr. Pyke's? 3.)How does Julie find her way back into the prison without unlocking any chains? 4.)Why does the sherrif pop in for a visit, at night, only to harrass the residents, "you didn't kill your daughter, did you? I had to ask." 5.) Why does the movie otherwise completely neglect the subject of an investigation into their child's death? That could have made a better film than this did. 6.) After the prior resident shot himself, why did the cops leave the gun laying around for the next guy to find? 7.) In a horror movie, why does the actual discovery of a body happen off-screen?! 8.) What's the deal with the coffee/tea situation?

What's the scare factor in Dark Remains? Nearly nil. Admittedly, a couple of brief shots made me jump. The problem is that the few methods the filmmaker uses to try to scare the audience are the same three over and over again. One of them is to show a character in a close shot, show that person move, and have something creepy appear in the vacated spot. Another is to use reflections to show the aparitions and the third is a series of doors that move on their own.

The dialogue is so horrible in this movie, that it would almost be preferable to mute the damn thing and play some music instead. Wait, "almost"? I mean, "definitely". If I knew a good camera man and a buddy with a cabin I could borrow, even I could have done a better job than Brian Avenet-Bradley did. I guess that's what happens when the same guy writes, edits and directs the same movie. Thank god he didn't star in it. The producer/cinematographer? - I think she's his wife. Don't waste your time with Dark Remains. Even the trailer sucks. Sadly, it's still not the worst movie I've sever seen, which goes to show that I really will watch anything.

Overall Rating: 2 stars
Hottie Rating: 0 stars

Alternate Recommendation: Shutter
Official Site
IMDB Page
The Video Graveyard review

The Darjeeling LImited (2007)

Directed by: Wes Anderson
Format: DVD
DVD Features: trailer, featurette, other trailers
Starring: Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, Angelica Huston
Trailer

India. It's a country I've never been to, but have long wanted to visit. When I was quite young, I saw The Little Princess, starring Shirley Temple. Even though the movie takes place in Africa, it occurs during the British occupation of that country and Sara Crewe (Temple) has an Indian servant (The British occupied that country as well). Although her young servant has a small role in the film, that is when my interest in the far away land was first roused. Since then, I've read a few wonderful novels (The God of Small Things by Anrundhati Roy and The Moor's Last Sigh by Salmon Rushdie) that have kept the mistuque of India alive in my imagination. In Wes Anderson's latest film, The Darjeeling Limited, the beauty of this country is once again brought to life.

Three brothers, Francis, Peter and Jack Whitman have not spoken in a year. The eldest, Francis, has decided that the three of them need to take a spiritual journey; to reconnect and to visit their estranged mother. They rondevous aboard a train in India, The Darjeeling Limited, and travel across the country together. Along the way, Francis' carefully laid plans go awry, their mother sends word that they're unwelcome and a poisonous snake gets them kicked off the train. Aside from their immediate troubles, each man has unresolved issues of their own.

The visual appeal of this film lies primarily in the set design. The train itself is a work of art and filming aboard a moving locomotive presents challenges of its own. Like most of Wes Anderson's other works, The Darjeeling Limited feels almost like a play insofar as the set is concerned. Unlike The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, there are no fantastic creatures aboard.

Although I was terribly disappointed in Jason Schwartzman as Louis XVI (Marie Anoinette), he has been in most, if not all, of the Wes Anderson movies. So, it's not surprising to find him in the cast of this one. He seems well suited to the director's needs and performs wonderfully in The Darjeeling Limited. He's grown up quite a bit from Rushmore. A new addition to Anderson's usual crew is Adrien Brody. Let's forget for a moment that I completely adore the actor on every level. He's so exciting just to look at! As an addition to the cast, he fits in very smoothly and blends in perfectly amongst Anderson's other creations. I hope to see him again in the director's next project. Owen Wilson, although another regular in Anderson's films, doesn't seem to mesh as well as the other two. He's a bit too overpowering as Francis. Even though the character is a strong one, Wilson is slightly over the top in his performance. Another pair of regulars, Bill Murray and Angelica Huston, appear in The Darjeeling Limited, but not in leading roles. I think that it was a wise descision on the casting director's part, as it avoids making each film too similar while still appeasing the fans.

As if it wasn't apparent by my peppering of his name throughout this review, I am a fan of Wes Anderson's films. I love the whimsical nature of them and their non-linear plots. It's nice not to be tied down to an agenda as so many other movies seem to be. But although The Darjeeling Limited isn't a predictable story, the primary sentiment still comes through. The plot meanders from Francis' well-intended choreography, but the three brothers accomplish their goal in the end. The movie is serious, without being depressing and funny without being rediculous. The exotic setting, the quirky characters and the subtle oddities make The Darjeeling Limited another fantastic addition to the director's filmography. As a side note, I don't usually get excited about the featurettes included on many DVDs. However, I do recommend viewing the extra feature on this one. There are elements of the set design that shouldn't go unappreciated, that one might never notice without watching the behind the scenes footage.

Now, I think I'll go watch it again, before I have to return it!

Overall rating: 5 stars
Hottie rating: 5 stars (4 for Brodie, 1 for Schwartzman)

Alternate Recommendation: The Royal Tenenbaums
Official Site
IMDB Site
Salon.com review (minute spoilers)

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Domino (2005)

Director: Tony Scott
Format: DVD
DVD Features: trailer, commentary, deleted scenes, featurette
Starring: Kiera Knightly, Mickey Rourke, Christoper Walken, Edgar Ramirez
Trailer

One of the taglines for this movie is, “Based on a true story. Sort of.” The real Domino Harvey was the daughter of actor Laurence Harvey and model Paulene Stone. She ran a nightclub in London, was a volunteer firefighter, was arrested on drug-related charges and died while Tony Scott’s film was being made. If you watch Domino clear through to the credits, you will catch a glimpse of the real woman. You might also spy her cameo in the movie Constantine. But if you notice the real Domino Harvey in either of those instances, you might notice something else….She doesn’t look a thing like Keira Knightley.

Domino the movie focuses mainly on Harvey’s career as a bounty hunter. We are introduced to her life story via her interrogation by FBI agent Taryn Miles (Lucy Liu), who is questioning her about her latest caper. Always the rebellious, weapon wielding misfit, Domino never felt suited to her life growing up in her Hollywood high-society surroundings. After college, she briefly took on the runway as a fashion model, but didn’t take to that any more fondly. Then came the day she discovered a course on bounty hunting and signed up to learn a thing or two from Ed Mosbey (Mickey Rourke). After convincing him that “bail recovery” was her true calling, she teamed up with Mosbey and his fellow agent Choco (Edgar Ramirez). Before long, the threesome attract the attention of reality show producer Mark Heiss (Christopher Walken), who wants to follow them into action. When things get messy with the mob, Ed, Domino and Choco feel the heat.

I wouldn’t classify Keira Knightly as a bad actress. However, she’s much more believeable as depressed alcoholic Jackie Price in The Jacket than she is as a gritty, thrill seeking bounty hunter. I was never quite convinced of her character in this movie, the act was just too transparent. Rourke has been playing the grizzled bounty hunter role, or something close to it, for a long time now. So, it wasn’t refreshing or different to see him in Domino. Despite the addition of Walken, Macy Gray, Tom Waits and even Jerry Springer to the cast, the film was terribly boring. Ian Ziering and Brian Austin Green, formerly of the television show Beverly Hills 90210, appear as themselves and provide comic example of how whitewashed and stale Hollywood has become. It’s almost amusing, but I think that’s just because I’ve always wanted to see the two of them get beat up.

For a man with a resume that includes Top Gun, True Romance and The Hunger, I expected far more out of Tony Scott. The action is so choppy and the cuts are so random and frequent that it’s hard to tolerate at times. Because that type of technique has become the trend in action films these days, Domino comes off as neither exciting nor innovative, just annoying and trite. The diced up storyline doesn’t work magic either. From reading what little I have about the real Domino Harvey, it seems a shame that the last movie made about her life ended up being so much less entertaining than her actual exploits were.

Basically, I wouldn’t recommend buying Domino. I wouldn’t recommend renting Domino. I wouldn’t even recommend pausing in front of the DVD player if someone else was watching Domino. Unless you’re a die hard Keira Knightley fanatic (and even then it’s barely justifiable)stay well away from this boring film. Even the website sucks.

Overall Rating: 2
Hottie Rating: 3 (for sexual tension between Choco and Domino)

Alternate viewing: True Romance
Official site
IMDB site
Reel.com review

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The Descent (2005)

Director: Neil Marshall
Format: DVD
DVD Features: commentary, outtakes, stills, bios, interview, featurette
Starring: Saskia Mulder, Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid
Trailer

I seem to be getting all of my movie recommendations lately from the same pair of friends. The Descent was no exception. Knowing that my tastes lean toward horror, they immediately suggested that I add this movie to my list. The two of them were quite fond of it, but I didn’t get much more information than that. I suppose that not everyone is willing to spend hours upon hours trying to form their opinions about movies into coherent paragraphs. Go figure.

Fold together one part drama, one part horror, and a dash of confusion and you’ve got The Descent. It reminded me of the way From Dusk ‘Till Dawn was half Reservoir Dogs and half John Carpenter’s Vampires (or Dracula 2000). The story centers around a group of female friends who have formed an informal extreme adventure club. On this particular trip, their leader, Juno (Natalie Mendoza) decides that the group will go spelunking in an undiscovered cavern. While they may be prepared for rock climbing and cramped passageways, they certainly aren’t expecting to be attacked by Homo-Microchiroptera. I feel I should warn that anyone with claustrophobia might have serious issues with this movie. I’m not particularly claustrophobic, but I found it difficult to breathe during the more intense scenes.

The first part of the film almost could have been made into a full length feature of its own. Much more focus is given to character development than is common for the genre. I found that the back story about Rebecca’s (Saskia Mulder) family was awkward and unnecessary and that the film would have been better off without it. It seemed like something the writers decided on as an afterthought and then tried to work into the plot after most of the movie had been shot.

By the time the monsters begin to appear, you may have forgotten that The Descent is a horror film. I wasn’t terribly frightened by the beasts in the caves. I don’t even see that they had any teeth, but they must have for all the biting they did. Most of the attack sequences were filmed with a sort of strobe light effect, making it very difficult to make out the action. I assume that the director used this technique, thinking that it would be more frightening for the audience to only see bits and pieces of the action. However, I feel it’s more akin to typical American action films in that the focus is too close in on the actors and the confusion doesn’t result in terror, but rather…well…confusion.

To sum up, I think that the first half of the movie would be excellent if followed through to a full length feature. The second part isn’t very frightening and the subplot felt tacked on. I certainly recommend the rental, but The Descent isn’t going to make it to my “to buy” list unless I can find it in the $5.00 bin.

Overall Rating: 3 ½
Hottie Rating: 4 (lots of athletic young women, sweating)

Alternate viewing: The Blair Witch Project
Official site
IMDB site
Rotten Tomatoes review

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Derailed (2005)

Director: Mikael Håfström
Format: DVD
DVD Features: deleted scenes, trailers
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Clive Owen, Rza, Xzibit
Trailer

Someone recommended this movie to me. I don’t remember who did, but they assured me that the inclusion of Jennifer Aniston in the cast wouldn’t be an issue for me. She’s one of the actors I tend to avoid. However, in this case, my friend was right. Something I didn’t hear about in advance was two other famous members of the cast. Fans of Hip-Hop will recognize Rza and Xzibit on screen. Rza, at least, has had his hand in the movie business for a while now. He was in Jim Jarmusch’s Coffee and Cigarettes as well as contributing the musical score for Ghost Dog from the same director. I dig RZA. It’s fun to see him in movies because he has a lot of personality and quite a way with words. Xzibit though, doesn’t have much more than a token role in Derailed. So, if he does posses any acting abilities, it isn’t readily apparent in this film. I have been on a Clive Owen kick for some time now. I’ll spare you the list of his films that I’ve been through. But, let me say that I’ve only been disappointed once.

Plotwise, Derailed is fairly predictable in places. The “twist” near the end was as obvious as an oncoming train and I don’t think it took more than 15 minutes for me to smell a rat. Then, we have the equally blinding moral lesson that underscores the storyline. Regardless of those two factors, the movie manages a few surprises in places. Although the film’s destination might be expected, the journey is sometimes more important.

Bypassing as many spoilers as possible, the basic plot breaks down like this. Charles Schine (Owen) is an advertising executive struggling under the dual pressures of his home life and his career. When he meets an attractive woman on the train (Aniston), he welcomes the exciting departure of a possible affair. At the moment the couple decides to consummate their infidelity, a mugger surprises them in their hotel room. Fearing the effects that disclosing the event to the police would have on her family life, the woman refuses to file an official report with the authorities. Soon afterward, the mugger contacts Schine with blackmail demands and ever more increasing threats.

All in all, the film moves at a satisfying pace, without many diversions along the way. There’s a final little twist that I hadn’t expected, but all of the loose ends wrap up into a bit too tidy of a package for my taste. Derailed is clever after all and I enjoyed the ride. I do recommend the rental. There are even some juicy moments to arouse, if only briefly, my lust for Mr. Owen. But, Derailed won’t make in onto my “to buy list”, if only for the fact that it’s even harder to surprise me the second time around.

Overall Rating: 3
Hottie Rating: 4 (Owen is such a stud!)

Alternate Viewing: Lucky Number Sleven
Official Site
IMDB Site
Rotten Tomatoes review

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The Da Vinci Code (2006)

Director: Ron Howard
Format: DVD
DVD Features: Previews, tons of featurettes, interviews, PC puzzle game demo
Starring: Tom Hanks, Jean Reno, Audrey Tautou
Trailer

I avoided the theatrical release of this film mainly because the book had gotten so much hype. I also tend to avoid movies that star Tom Hanks and were made after 1990. However, I did read the novel and curiosity finally got the better of me. It’s always interesting to see how the adaptation will be. The producers/director did appear to solicit the input of Dan Brown, judging from the special features and I feel that the more the original creator has to do with the movie version of their work, the smoother the transition will be from text to screen. I was not altogether disappointed with the movie version of The Da Vinci Code. Except for a few minor details, the movie script followed the novel quite well.

Novelist and lecturer Robert Langdon (Hanks) is approached by the French authorities in connection with the death of Jacques Saunière, curator at the Louvre. Under the guise of consulting Landon’s deep understanding of historic symbols, Captain Fache (Jean Reno) brings him to the murder scene. It is when Agent Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou) comes to his rescue that Langdon realizes he is actually wanted in connection to the crime. The deceased, who also happens to be Sophie’s grandfather, has left a trail of clues for the two of them to decipher. Before long, it is clear to Langdon that it isn’t Sauniere’s killer that he and Neveu are looking for, but something far more sacred – The Holy Grail. The two fugitives begin to follow the string of clues and decode the messages and riddles that unlock the secret of The Grail’s resting place. There are some, namely the religious sect Opus Dei, who would also like their hands on the sacred treasure, recognizing the threat it brings to the church. At every turn, Langdon and Neveu must fool not only the authorities, but dodge the attempts of another mysterious interested party to steal the secret. One of the issues that I had with the book, was that I was always one step ahead of the characters when it came to figuring out the next clue. Watching the movie made the situation worse, as I had already discovered each answer in the novel. The suspense wasn’t quite the same either, as it takes a much longer period of time for Langdon and Neveu to get to the next clue in the book. So, the compression of time needed to transfer the story onto film detracted from that aspect. The story on the whole is intriguing, especially considering that most of the clues in the story actually exist.

Plot: 4 stars

As mentioned earlier, I am not particularly fond of Tom Hanks. No matter which role he takes, there’s an air of arrogance about him that I find very unattractive. He didn’t convince me as Langdon. Audrey Tautou is a fantastic actress, especially when she plays French roles (Amelie). She wasn’t how I envisioned the character as I read the novel, but she fits snugly into the role. Jean Reno is also a great actor, in certain roles, but he wasn’t Fache to me. The role of Silas, the albino monk working for Opus Dei, was played by Paul Bettany. In the book, I remember Silas as being a large, hulking creature, terribly threatening in part due to his devout convictions. But, in the movie, Bettany is way too small and the only think that makes him frightening is the Latin he speaks. I also envisioned the character of Teabing differently. The novel gave me the impression that, aside from being crippled, Teabing was also of substantial weight. In the film, Ian McKellen portrays him and although his determination comes through, he is much frailer than I expected. On the whole, with the exception of Hanks, the acting was neat, clean and well executed.

Cast: 4 stars

As befitting a film of international treasure hunting and shadowy secret societies. The Da Vinci Code features a satisfying dose of action. The movie includes a brief gunfight, a car chase in reverse, and plenty brandishing of firearms. Though not quite up to par with 007 type of over-the-top pyrotechnics and such, this movie satisfied my RDA of action.

Action: 3 stars

Watching some of the extra features, I realize what a challenge it may have been to film in The Louvre. All of the artwork in those scenes is apparently the real deal. My biggest complaint is that the director felt it necessary to enhance some of the symbols and clues artificially, when they were blindingly obvious in the first place. Is it really so difficult to see that a six-pointed star is made up of an upward pointing triangle and a downward pointing triangle? The screen on which Teabing illustrates some of the finer points of DaVinci’s “The Last Supper” comes in handy, as well as the images showing Langdon’s recollection of Newton’s headstone. So, it while it may have served well to illustrate some scenes this way, it was overused in the majority of scenes.

Visual: 2 stars

Here, I present the winning quote from The Da Vinci Code, “As long as there has been a one true god, there has been killing in his name.” How true and apropos. There weren’t any vocal failings, aside from the fact that Langdon never seemed surprised or convinced of what he was saying.

Dialogue: 3 stars

All in all, I was satisfied with the movie version of The Da Vinci Code. There were very few diversions from the original story and I have to give points for “shot on location”. Most of the acting was well done and I found it difficult to tear myself from the screen, even after the third go round. I do recommend picking the DVD up from the rental shoppe, but I would hold off on adding it to my personal collection. The features on the disc are a bit disappointing. Plenty of interviews and behind the scenes excerpts, but they only seem to be advertising the film rather than explaining it.

Alternate viewing choice: Raiders of the Lost Ark
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The D List

The Da Vinci Code

The Dark Knight

Dark Remains

The Darjeeling Limited

Derailed

The Devil's Backbone

The Descent

Domino