Da Vinci Code: the verdict.

Da Vinci Code: Ron Howard’s recipe for turning a good book into a lousy movie.

Take a couple of highly visible actors who seem clueless throughout the movie, a successful book, a complicated plot, endless and uninspired dialogues (monologues, rather); add a lot of money and publicize to death. Let simmer for a year stirring regularly. Serve cold…Insipid and extremely deceiving.

Kudos however for Ian Mc Kellan and Paul Bettany’s performance. Thumbs down for Audrey Tautou (pathetic!) and Jean Reno (appaling!!!) Tom Hanks tried his best, but the material couldn’t help.

Don’t waste your time.

Angel-spy re-assuring heaven: "It's lousy"!

(I couldn' t agree more...)

Breaking (down) the code

Much controversy has already tarred Ron Howard's film version of "The Da Vinci Code", Dan Brown's best seller.The controversy stems in large part from some people's radical viewpoint on all matters relating to religion; people whose superficial reading made them feel that the story was blasphemous towards christianity and catholicism.

I fail to understand such primary reactions. How can this story alter anybody's faith? Having read the book - and having found it a most thrilling novel - I never felt offended throughout the story. The religious background is so far-fetched in content and substance and the incredible coincidences so abundant throughout the plot, that this clearly anchored it in fiction and not in an attempt to interpret religious history.

My sole judgement criteria about the movie will be whether the novel - which left one's imagination wander through its pages - will actually translate well in pictures and dialogues.I have had doubts on this matter ever since Ron Howard's much-publicized project was launched. But I'll only share my final verdict after I see the movie next week.

L'ami Sigmund

J'ai mis un moment pour comprendre pourquoi Freud faisait la couverture de tous les magazines ces jours-ci. Le "roi du divan" est né en 1856 et l'on célèbre donc le 150ème anniversaire de sa naissance.

J'ai fait comme tout le monde et j'ai acheté le numéro spécial (No. 7) du "Point" dédié en grande partie à Freud mais aussi à d'autres maîtres de la psychanalyse tels que Ferenczi, Klein, Lacan et Jung.

Si vous voulez en savoir plus sur le "moi", les fantasmes, l'interprétation des rêves, les phobies, la doctrine du refoulement, l'inconscient et autres théories de la psychanalyse, accourez au kiosque à journaux le plus proche et procurez-vous ce condensé des textes fondateurs de cette science qu'on n'arrête pas de découvrir...tout en se découvrant soi-même.

Et au cas ou votre librairie du coin est déjà en rupture de stock, vous pouvez commander le numéro spécial du Point (No. 7) à l'adresse suivante:

http://www.lepoint.fr/produits_boutique/doc_horseries.html

Bonne lecture!