Travis Simpkins: Robert Langdon

Saturday, October 28, 2017

The Da Vinci Code (2006): Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, The Holy Grail and Priory of Sion

Directed by Ron Howard, based on the best-selling novel by Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code (2006) was unavoidably met with controversy and protest. In the story, the murder of a curator at the Louvre triggers a quest that involves seeking the true Holy Grail and exposing the greatest cover-up in history: that Jesus Christ fathered a child with Mary Magdalene and his bloodline continues to the present day. Secret organizations the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei are featured prominently. Filmed at great cultural and historical landmarks throughout France and the United Kingdom, the cinematography is excellent. Sets include the Louvre, Westminster Abbey, Temple Church and Rosslyn Chapel. As the title suggests, the works of Leonardo da Vinci are highlighted. Symbolism, riddles, Art, puzzles and mystery make for a thrilling two and a half hours. The actors all do a fine job, including Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon, Audrey Tautou as Sophie Neveu, Ian McKellen, Paul Bettany and Alfred Molina.

Tom Hanks: The Da Vinci Code

Paul Bettany: The Da Vinci Code

Vitruvian Man : The Da Vinci Code

Tom Hanks and Jean Reno: The Da Vinci Code

Audrey Tautou and Tom Hanks: The Da Vinci Code

Mona Lisa, Audrey Tautou and Tom Hanks: The Da Vinci Code

Madonna of the Rocks, Audrey Tautou and Tom Hanks: The Da Vinci Code

The Mona Lisa, Audrey Tautou and Tom Hanks: The Da Vinci Code

Alfred Molina: The Da Vinci Code

Audrey Tautou and Tom Hanks: The Da Vinci Code

Mary Magdalene and Jesus Christ: The Da Vinci Code

Ian McKellan: The Da Vinci Code

Mary Magdalene: The Da Vinci Code

Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene: The Da Vinci Code

Audrey Tautou and Tom Hanks: The Da Vinci Code

Mary Magdalene: The Da Vinci Code

Paul Bettany: The Da Vinci Code

Audrey Tautou: The Da Vinci Code

Tom Hanks: The Da Vinci Code

Audrey Tautou and Tom Hanks: The Da Vinci Code

Tom Hanks: The Da Vinci Code

Audrey Tautou and Paul Bettany: The Da Vinci Code

Paul Bettany: The Da Vinci Code

Audrey Tautou and Tom Hanks: The Da Vinci Code

The Louvre: The Da Vinci Code

Tom Hanks: The Da Vinci Code

Audrey Tautou and Tom Hanks: The Da Vinci Code

Audrey Tautou: The Da Vinci Code

Inferno (2016): Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon, Felicity Jones and Dante

Co-produced and directed by Ron Howard, based on the bestselling novel by Dan Brown, Inferno (2016) is the third film adaptation to come from the four books in the Robert Langdon series (The Lost Symbol, sadly has not yet been filmed). The story finds Harvard symbolist Robert Langdon awakening in a Florence, Italy hospital with a bullet wound to his scalp and suffering from amnesia. Soon, Langdon and his doctor find themselves racing to find clues that will lead them to stop a deadly man-made plague from being released. The sets, full of Renaissance art and history, are beautiful and glorious… from the Palazzo Vecchio and the Hall of the Five Hundred to St. Mark's Cathedral and the Hagia Sophia. The cast does a good job all-around, including Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon, Felicity Jones as Dr. Sienna brooks, Ben Foster, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Omar Sy and Irrfan Khan.