The Critics Code

I went last weekend to see the "The DaVinci Code" or as we call it here in south Philly "Duh DuhVinci Code." Movie critics generally had a problem with the film and most gave it bad to medium reviews. Almost as if they were angry and wanted it to fail. Perhaps it was a backlash from the huge popularity of the book and its low literary standing. I'm sure book critics didn't rave about the book when it first came out- it's not a book for critics- it's actually one for people who want a genuine page-turner to read, not to pretend you read. I'm sure they discussed how they were going to trash it in their secret critic meetings before they had even seen it. It would have had to been a incredibly brilliant film to live up to its hype, but I don't think it was anywhere near as bad as several critics claimed. It's a two and a half hour film that didn't make me fall asleep on a Saturday afternoon. I say that's pretty good.

There were many things in the film that critics usually love. For one it was mostly set in France and had subtitles- mon dieu - this is usually enough for a great review from any American critic. It also had a good performance by an old school classy, gay, British actor - Ian McKellen- also another ingredient for smashing reviews. It also had a plot that you couldn't follow if you didn't already know it- critics love films that make no sense and leave you with a million questions at the end? They can feel smart and pretend they understood it (ie: 2001: A Space Odyssey.) I guess because so many people read the book they couldn't pretend they understood it more than we did. And the biggest thing - the film trashes the Catholic Church- everyone knows that critics, as journalists, are part of the big liberal left Hollywood machine that is out to destroy everything good about America like illegal wiretapping and pedophile priests. Somehow they didn't take the bait and anger the church by giving The DaVinci Code great reviews. Maybe Ron Howard should have added a few lovelorn gay cowboys- subtitled in French, of course.