The Da Vinci Code (2006, Ron Howard)

Big-budget adaptation of the best-selling book of the same name is a highly entertaining conspiracy theory film, made very much in the tradition of those thrillers that emerged in the post-Watergate era. Tom Hanks plays an American symbolist trapped in a web of deceit, murder and papal conspiracy. The Da Vinci Code does a great job in deciphering (no pun intended) all the necessary information in manner that was easy for the viewer to understand. Oscar-winning director Ron Howard keeps the film moving at a breakneck pace. I also loved how Howard goes for over the top technical devices during key dramatic sequences, which is exactly what the preposterous subject matter demands. I did think this slick film could have been a bit darker but it is not in Howard to act brooding. Salvatore Totino’s cinematography is strong and the lovely (if overstated) music score is by Hans Zimmer. It is a genuinely well-crafted, very enjoyable suspenser.

~ by gelpi2008 on Friday, June 26, 2009.