Critics crucify "Da Vinci Code" in Cannes

[PrinceOfCats]

The Da Vinci Cod, I would have written a parody myself but I've never read the book.

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

hahah...just as entertaining though

 

[Tushka_BeLLa]

I quite liked the movie, although Tom Hanks was quite wooden which is strange because he is usually such a fantastic actor.... Never got round to finishing the book though... not sure I will...

 

[miss-lilly]

I saw the movie two days ago and I must say that I was dissapointed. I had read the book and I found the movie a bit boring.
Anyway, here the movie is a big success. Before it was released everyone was talking about it (on TV, radio, press and generally everywhere) all day long and it pre-sold more than 100.000 tickets, which is an all-time record.

 

[Bella Plum]

I just saw the movie. Tom Hanks was horrible, but the rest of the cast were quite good. If they would have had someone else play Langdon, the movie could have been really good, because it did follow the book fairly well.

 

[cric-croc]

oh my! i saw the movie last week and it was a total disappointment.
it felt like a parody of the book: it ws really slow and boring, few people were actually laughing at 'key moments'. Tom hanks was really bad : no excitiment, no suspance, no nothing. that english Paul actor and the french actress were both realy bag. as someone else said, she is basically following him around like an idiot: what happen to the smart strong woman from the book????
it felt like the two main characters were simply running about having no clue on what was happening, what to do and so on
if the book managed to create mistery, suspance, excitiment and an aurea of grandeur,the movie has none of these.

 

[amphrosyne]

^ you make the book sound like a literary masterpiece Its just a thriller that garnered widespread attention because of the controversial matter it covers.

 

[zionforsell]

I think people have the wrong expectation for the book. Not all Bestsellers are classics!!! IT was a very entertaining book with fasinating ideas and blah blah blah, but it wasn't something people a century from now will still discuss about. Then may be that led the movie into the wrong path: instead of making an entertaining movie, they try to make it into a crusade or something. The characters in the book are very interesting, especially Sophie. That's the thing about Hollywood nowaday, they have this main character, and everyone around is just moving around him instead of giving them personalities.

 

[Harumi]

The Da Vinci Cod, I would have written a parody myself but I've never read the book.

Ignorants are blessed! This parody is actually available in paper edition. Just saw it in my Waterstones. Here the Amazon link.

IT was a very entertaining book with fasinating ideas and blah blah blah, but it wasn't something people a century from now will still discuss about.

I beg to disagree. That thing was awfully boring. Beside, nothing excuses a hopeless redaction. The man just can't write to save his life. It was so bad it made me cringe.
You want a page-turning, easy read thriller with suspense, compelling characters, historic and cultural references, mystery and great writing style? Try Robert Harris's Fatherland (or anything by that author for that matter). The living proof that you can do entertaining novel and have talent.

 

[zionforsell]

I'm not saying a classic can't be entertaining, but not all the bestsellers will be classics, that's why they are called "Classic". I don't think Dan Brown is a bad writer. If he is, no one would buy his book. I read both "Angel & DEmon" and "Davinci Code", I like both. Saying he couldn't write was harsh and exagerated. The man could write, of course he's no Victor Hugo, but he wrote a compelling story. THat's for sure! People nowaday just dramatizes everything. Dan Brown is better than most romance novelists (and note that I don't mean "all" of them), sure you can say it's not something big, but we got to give him credit for that.

 

[PrinceOfCats]

I don't think Dan Brown is a bad writer. If he is, no one would buy his book.

In 1933 alone, Mein Kampf sold 500,000 copies.

 

[zionforsell]

I'm sorry. I don't see your point.... JUst in case, don't compare him to people like Anny Rand, those are giants in literature. Dan Brown is still working on his skills, and he writes entertaining books, they are good time-killer. That's all! The reason why people are so hyper about criticizing him is because the topic to them was touchy. There are many more authors who are worse than Dan Brown and no one said anything about them.

 

[casaanova]

I really liked the movie. It's kind of a difficult book to make into a movie, but i thought it was ok. It was more entertaining than good. Tom Hanks was a little boring and lame, he didn't look into it. I loved the book also. Obviously, the book was 100 times better.

 

[PrinceOfCats]

I'm sorry. I don't see your point....

I speak excrable German. From reading Mein Kampf, I suspect Adolf Hitler speaks even worse German than I do. (ie People who are crap writers can manage to sell their books, contrary to what you said.)

JUst in case, don't compare him to people like Anny Rand, those are giants in literature. Dan Brown is still working on his skills, and he writes entertaining books, they are good time-killer. That's all! The reason why people are so hyper about criticizing him is because the topic to them was touchy. There are many more authors who are worse than Dan Brown and no one said anything about them.

I fail to see how his books are entertaining (I have only seen the film myself), when the plot itself is plain boring. Perhaps in Biblebasherville people find this stuff shocking, but for those of us who've read Chretien de Troyes, it was like watching the Wachowski brothers remix Three Little Pigs.

I think Ayn Rand is evil personified, so I fail to see that link also.

 

[Anastasia]

This person rather summed up my feelings on the quality

Here we have an old guy who is gut-shot, but who nevertheless manages to:

1. traipse from painting to painting, scrawling secret anagrams in ultraviolet ink (and incidentally, being careful to bleed only in front of the paintings instead of trailing blood everywhere);

2. scrawl very lengthy secret messages on the parquet floor in ultraviolet ink (and in English!);

3. take off all his clothes (I can't remember that they actually FOUND his clothes);

4. draw a big pentacle on his chest in his own blood;

5. arrange himself on his back like Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man;

6. all while bleeding to death.

And the James Fennimore Cooper like miracles proceed apace from there. Rather too much disbelief for me to suspend.

 

[zionforsell]

I think you need to read the book before even criticizing it. About Anny Rand, I don't agree with her philosophy, but she is a damn good writer, that's for sure. People just condemn others because they have oposite viewpoints; just as ridiculous as a realist painter criticizing an abstract painter on his won standard. Just because Van Gogh didn't want to paint like Michaelangelo doens't make him a bad painter. True nowaday authors don't really need huge talent to sell books, but don't you think readers are smart enough at least to distinguish a good book and a bad one? You can't promote an empty chestnut in the world of literature.

 

[Harumi]

I'm not saying a classic can't be entertaining, but not all the bestsellers will be classics, that's why they are called "Classic".

You missed my point. The example I choose (Fatherland) is a bestseller yet definitely not a classic. My point was you can do easy reading literature yet have a good writing style. No need to be a literary genius, just a decent author.

I don't think Dan Brown is a bad writer. If he is, no one would buy his book.

I find this statement particularly naive. Commercial success and talent are very loosely tied-up. Ever read Barbara Cartland? Oh and that godawful book Men come from Mars, Women from Venus. Millions of copies sold... Here in the UK Jade Goody and Jordan sell very well. Does that mean they are good authors to you?

I read both "Angel & DEmon" and "Davinci Code", I like both. Saying he couldn't write was harsh and exagerated.

I simply stated my honest opinion. I can't judge Angel & Demon since I will forever steer clear from anything this man ever write.

In 1933 alone, Mein Kampf sold 500,000 copies.

Mein Kampf is a snooze fest.

 

[PrinceOfCats]

I think you need to read the book before even criticizing it.

Why bother? The plot's a snooze.

but don't you think readers are smart enough at least to distinguish a good book and a bad one?

No.

Mein Kampf is a snooze fest.

That faint 'clang' you may hear is the ring of the proverbial hammer hitting the proverbial nail on the head!