Posted on 05/17/2006 7:19:19 AM PDT by Reaganesque
Quotes from early reviews of "The DaVinci Code" at Cannes:
"CANNES, France - "The Da Vinci Code" drew lukewarm praise, shrugs of indifference, some jeering laughter and a few derisive jabs Tuesday from arguably the world's toughest movie crowd: critics at the Cannes Film Festival."
"One especially melodramatic line uttered by Hanks drew prolonged laughter and some catcalls, and the audience continued to titter for much of the film's remainder.
Some people walked out during the movie's closing minutes, though there were fewer departures than many Cannes movies provoke among harsh critics. When the credits rolled, there were a few whistles and hisses, and there was none of the scattered applause even bad movies sometimes receive at Cannes."
Yahoo News
"A pulpy page-turner in its original incarnation as a huge international bestseller has become a stodgy, grim thing in the exceedingly literal-minded film version of "The Da Vinci Code." Tackling head-on novelist Dan Brown's controversy-stirring thriller hinging on a subversively revisionist view of Jesus Christ's life, director Ron Howard and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman have conspired to drain any sense of fun out of the melodrama, leaving expectant audiences with an oppressively talky film that isn't exactly dull, but comes as close to it as one could imagine with such provocative material; result is perhaps the best thing the project's critics could have hoped for. Enormous public anticipation worldwide will result in explosive B.O. at the start in near-simultaneous release in most international territories, beginning May 17 in some countries -- day-and-date with the official Cannes opening-night preem -- and May 19 in the U.S. and elsewhere."
Variety
" Several whistles instead of applause were all that greeted the end of Ron Howard's 125-million-dollar film, and worse than that, the 2,000-strong audience even burst out laughing at the movie's key moment.
"I didn't like it very much. I thought it was almost as bad as the book. Tom Hanks was a zombie, thank goodness for Ian McKellen. It was overplayed, there was too much music and it was much too grandiose," said Peter Brunette, critic for the US daily The Boston Globe. '
Breitbart.com
"Bottom line: A jumble of historical myth, religious symbology and international thriller-action makes for an unwieldy, bloated melodrama."
The Hollywood Reporter.com
It'll probably still do well because there's a built-in audience for it among those who read the book. And I don't think most of them care whether it's any good or not. It's like a cult.
I told them they should have done the "Code" as a comedy, but they never listen.
I found the book an enjoyable read. I have always liked the subject matter concerning the holy grail and possible meanings and its impact. For a better read concerning the subject matter check out Umberto Eco's "Focualts Pendulum". Another good Eco book is "The Name of The Rose". Generally what makes a good book is the suspense of multiple characters and plot lines. Movies have difficulty following more than two characters and one plot line. Good suspense books generally lay at least two plausible plot lines and will include several characters.
In a "sophisticated" crowd like Cannes, it is necessary to hoot and whistle and laugh loudly at inappropriate times to outdo the next fellow is displaying one's sneering, derisive, contempt for something that the common people may find amusing.
Bite me.
"Gone With The Wind?"
Tarentino is a great movie maker.
OK ... what exactly is this "DaVinci Code" all about?
I have'nt read the book and don't intend to.
Is it some treasure hunt thing, little clues in his paintings or something? Whats all the hoopla about this book and now movie?
One of my favorite movies of the past few years was 'National Treasure', and that director was able to lead the audience from clue to clue very nicely. And it's PG, too.
20% rotten so far.
Awesome! I particularly liked the line, "So dark the con of Dan Brown". LOL! Five reviews posted there and the most positive is the one that describes it as just short of being boring. Given the built-in liberal sympathies of most critics, there early negative reviews indicate that this film may be a real turkey.
"Being a "zombie" and causing film-goers to "burst out laughing at the movie's key moment" won't stop Hanks from stumbling his fat "bloated" a$$ on stage to collect his "Oscar" from the Jesus-hating Hollywood elite who are out of touch with America and completely devoid of any spiritual awareness whatsoever."
Well put, Amen brother.
RON Howard's splendid "The Da Vinci Code" is the Holy Grail of summer blockbusters: a crackling, fast-moving thriller that's every bit as brainy and irresistible as Dan Brown's controversial bestseller…
Of course, you can take the opinion of anybody who found Dan Brown’s book “brainy” for what it’s worth.
I felt that while reading the Da Vinci Code that that author was trying to write a novel that would be made into a movie. I actually like some of Dan Brown's other books better.
I thought that the movies The Godfather and Jaws were good adaptions of the books. Actually, Jaws the book had some interesting plot details that did not make the movie (mob connections and affairs).
Basically, the book claims that Jesus wasn't really the Son of God. He was just some prophet who married Mary Magdalene and fathered kids. The early church fathers made up all the stories about miracles, the crucifixion, the resurrection, etc, and have been lying to us ever since. Leonardo da Vinci supposedly knew about this scam and hid clues to reveal it in his painting of The Last Supper, which leads to other clues, and other clues, etc.
The film's tagline is "So Dark the Con of Man". So instead of Jesus being the Son of Man, everything the Gospels tell us about him is supposedly an evil con by the Catholic Church to gain power and money.
There's more to it than that, but that's the basic plot.
"For whatever reason, NBC and MSNBC have been hyping this film for a while. Maybe other stations also."
They also hype every left wing kook book that comes down the pike (Richard Clark, Mary Mapes, etc.) and it doesn't help them either as all their books flop. Here's hoping the same hyping has the same effect.
LOL! Granted, I haven't seen the film, but how did he find it to be a "crackling, fast-moving thriller" when those other critics cited it as talky, slow, and boring?
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