Professor Robert Langdon (Hanks) is lecturing in Paris when he becomes the prime suspect in a murder case. The forensics expert Sophie (Tatou) helps him escape--she's personally linked to the case--and the pair set off to find out what really happened. This involves following a series of coded riddles laid out by the victim, while a fervent monk hitman (Bettany) and a tenacious French cop (Reno) are on their trail. They seek refuge with a sardonic old Brit (McKellen) who may be able to unlock the secret, which could shake Christianity to its roots.

This isn't filmed like a normal Euro-thriller; Salvatore Totino's cinematography is lush, velvety and dark, establishing a sinister, creepy vibe that draws us in as a flurry of confusing action set-pieces set things off. It's not until McKellen enters at the one-hour mark that the film shifts into full-speed. He adds a badly needed spark of personality and wit, and also explains the entire plot for us, to set the ball rolling toward the big climax, which is nicely understated and beautifully played by Tatou.

As with their previous collaborations (A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man), Howard and Goldsman avoid all subtlety to make sure we get what's happening here. If the dialog and images aren't obvious enough, they're ready with an elaborately staged flashback (childhoods? the crusades? an 18th century London streetscape? check!). Or perhaps a glowy halo around a key item will help us spot it better. It's artfully done, but without any real character development, the film never quite grabs us.

At least the theological controversy doesn't swamp the fun. The filmmakers cleverly diffuse it with "what if" dialog that questions the theories in lively on-screen debates. In the end, it's clearly just a big-budget detective movie, complete with car chases, shifty characters, massive secrets and rather a lot of gruesome killing. It's thoroughly entertaining, albeit dense and over-serious. But what makes it unmissable is how it gives us something to talk about for months afterwards.

themes, violence, grisliness

16.May.06