Forget the book and enjoy the suspense-thriller

Film Review:

Angels and Demons

MANILA, Philippines – Dan Brown is a superb storyteller. His novels, The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons are true blue unputdownables. His knowledge of history, particularly that of the Catholic Church is awesome. He writes in simple language with chapters and sentences kept short and to the point.

Brown also has this gift for teaching that imparts information in a clear and easy manner. He keeps these coming without detracting from the flow of the tale. You want to know who Bernini is? He makes a precise introduction. You want to know what antimatter is or a pallium or a camerlengo or a member of Illuminati? They are all there when needed in Angels and Demons.

That must be the reason why it is so difficult to translate Brown’s work into the screen. With his implausible plots, he needs time to provide a background for everything. That is easy to do with the written word but not with film, which is largely a visual medium. That was the reason why Brown’s big-selling The Da Vinci Code, turned out leaden and static as a motion picture.

I will not suggest though that you read the novel first before watching the picture. Not in the case of Angels and Demons. Brown trod on holy ground and stepped on a lot of toes in writing the story. Not in the aspect of the war between science and religion, which nobody is taking seriously, but in the minutiae that actually made A&D truly intriguing. Director Ron Howard declined to do that.

What he did instead was drop or change a lot of items, some of them major, from the plot. I believe this was also done for the sake of clarity and to compress as much as he can into a little over two hours viewing time while keeping the thrill factor at fever-pitched. Remember, there are no written explanations and the script is already too wordy as it is.

Those who have read the book should forget that the camerlengo was the son of the departed pope. He is now merely adopted. Not only that. He is now Irish instead of Italian. The hassasin is no longer a misguided, boorish Arab. He even looks intellectual. There is no attraction at all between Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon and phycisist Vittoria Vetra. Mercifully, he decides to save the life of one of the preferred cardinals, etc.

This does not mean though that you cannot enjoy A&D, the movie. Forget the book and remember these. This is Howard at the helm. He makes memorable films, A Beautiful Mind. He knows how to create suspense. That blank screen towards the end of Apollo 13 gets me all the time. You can be sure of getting your money’s worth.

Tom Hanks, a great actor is back as Langdon with a better hairstyle. His hair was really awful in Da Vinci. This guy can act with a volleyball, so you can be sure he will be credible as cross between Nicolas Cage in National Treasure and Kiefer Sutherland in 24, spiced with some bits of Indiana Jones thrown in. Truth to tell Hanks makes it hard for the audience to think of anybody else who can pull off that difficult combination.

Langdon tracked down the Holy Grail mystery in Da Vinci. This time around he is called in to shed light on the old enemy of the Catholic Church, the Illuminati. The organization has admitted to kidnapping with intent to kill, four cardinals who are the preferred candidates to be elected the new pope in the conclave going on at the Sistine Chapel.

The Illuminati also holds the whole of Vatican hostage with no allowance for negotiations, through a well-hidden particle of antimatter. This was invented by Vittoria and her father, who was also said to have been killed by Illuminati. It becomes Langdon’s job to find the antimatter and the Illuminati monuments in Rome where one cardinal will be killed every hour until midnight. After all four are dead, the antimatter will explode and reduce the Vatican to nothing.

This is a shocking premise and the breakneck chase with a ticking clock provides high entertainment value to the film. There are efforts at profundity like having the camerlengo ask Langdon if he believes in God or having discussions on who was responsible for creation, God or science. Thinking of finding answers to those from a big-budgeted action thriller boggles the mind. One should not expect any. Angels and Demons is an exciting fun ride set in the Vatican.

There are competent performances all-around from an international cast. Brit Ewan McGregor, a surprising choice, at his best as the camerlengo; Swede Stellan Skarsgard as the commander of the Swiss guards; Israeli Ayelet Zurer as Vittoria; German Armin Mueller-Stahl as a cardinal and others.

None of them though can hold a candle to the real star of the piece, which are Vatican City and the pomp and pageantry of the conclave of cardinals. I have never seen these recreated or photographed as wonderfully as in this film. It makes you want to go to Rome and follow Langdon’s route. Of course, there is no chance we would ever see a papal sarcophagus or get inside the Sistine Chapel while the Red Hats are in a sacred meeting. But that is what films are for and there is more than enough images of those treasures shown with such loving care in Angels and Demons.