Code broken and found wanting

I finally got to watch the Ron Howard/Tom Hanks billed "Da Vinci Code," and boy, was I so right in feeling more than a year ago not to read the novel until I see the movie. I was with eon last Saturday when I saw it, and he admitted that it would seem that it was better seen without having to have read the novel.

I enjoyed it a bit, save for the clumsiness of some dialogue and scenes. Then I remembered reading somewhere how the filmmakers were proud to say that they were almost faithful to the novel's narrative. Uh-oh, I thought then, I remembered one Harry Potter movie having had the same sales pitch. Now, I can read the novel. I bought an illustrated version of the novel more than a year ago, just about the same time that it was announced that it was going to be made into a movie. I held off the reading then.

I found the movie funny when sometimes the dialogue seemed to spoonfeed viewers, very much like how children's shows are (think Blue's Clues or Sesame Street). In particular, I giggled at Sophie Neveu's/Audrey Tatou's lines about the Mona Lisa and the Madonna of the Rocks while inside the Louvre with Robert Langdon/Tom Hanks. And the persistent addressing of "Professor" (or maybe some other title) when she spoke with Langdon. I read somewhere that one of the curious characteristics of a B-grade movie is the persistent addressing of characters' names in dialogue like "Professor, don't you know blah-blah-blah" then "We have to blah-blah-blah, Professor..." then "Professor, what do you blah-blah-blah..." It was also bothersome to keep on hearing some musical scoring swell for emotional heightening or mood setting. Very Pinoy, I thought, si Jimmy Fabregas ba ang scorer? Viva Films ba ito? As for some stunt sequences, I think Bruckheimer could have orchestrated better, he he.

But surely, as one review I read on Newsweek, some guy who essentially trashed the whole film (which I really think is unfair - in fairness), the movie picked up for the better with impeccable Sir Ian McKellen. He was more engaging in the background talk than any other character.

The delight that I had for the movie must probably be due to witnessing how Dan Brown has cleverly put together different legends and theories into one stacked up conspiracy story. He sifted, weighed and threaded different snippets into "play" as fictive truths then putting more of probably his own. It's clearly fiction, all the hullaballoo that Catholic leaders and groups raised about this are baseless and unnecessary, I think. (This I still believe, despite what Brown had allegedly insisted as fact.) Of those who raised issue about this film, I think the most valid now would be from the albino community - the misfit stereotype characterization of Silas/Paul Bettany is unfair and stigmatizing to albinos.

As I watched, I was also looking for some visual clues that would later have to explain its own relevance in the story. It's the Hollywood formula for mystery/thriller. I had four theories: (1) this is about Sophie Neveu; (2) the code will be a very simple but relevant word, phrase or sentence; (3) the Catholic faith will not be revolutionized (this is Hollywood, there must be some kind of convenient closure!); and (4) the story will resolve back into the Louvre (don't disregard Langdon's harping on the I.M. Pei glass pyramid at the start!). The fourth one, I particularly held at the back of my mind, it's classic mystery writing, Agatha Christie legacy: the best way to keep something hidden is to keep it where it's most obvious.

In consideration of the novel/film for its significance overall, I think the most revealing article I read was also from that same Newsweek magazine (which I bought the same night, when eon and I went for "nightcap" snacks at 7-Eleven near our place). The magazine's main feature was on Mary Magdalene or the "Inconvenient Woman." The article believes that Da Vinci Code's treatment of Mary Magdalene was not revolutionary at all, in fact, very old fashioned. Catholics have grown up to regard the Magdalene as prostitute. Da Vinci Code claims to have revolutionized Magdalene as bride/mother. Yet the character "has continued to be defined by sex.... important for her body more than her mind." The article quotes Karen King, the author of "The Gospel of Mary of Magdala":

"Why do we feel we need to re-sexualize Mary? We've gotten rid of the myth of the prostitute. Now there's this move to see her as wife and mother. Why isn't it adequate to see her as disciple and perhaps apostle?"

Madness of May... and turning 33

May has flown so fast like it was shorter than the its own three-lettered name. Not quite the end of the month, but days before, I was almost ready to call it quits. My TTD's (things to do) was being stuffed like a thanksgiving turkey (or for more local color like rellenong bangus) as days wore on. May was, and is, a blur, and I actually turned 33 last week. I made a simple reminder alert on my cellphone just in case I'd forget. Fortunately, some people did also remember to greet, foremost my hunny, mom, sis and dad (in this order too). And to the rest of the peeps who remembered to greet, a million thanks!

I was also almost flying ceaselessly in places, work related for most of the time, of course. Labor Day weekend was a short but fulfilling on-impulse respite for eon and I in Baguio. As always, even before I've had the words in my head to blog about it, eon has his already uploaded. First week of May brought me, and all the Global Fund staff in San Pablo for the training of trainers. Then off to Legazpi for the project management team's evaluation of our work in the region. There was a short trip to Donsol that came with this. As it was short, I essentially just slept in, the nearest I got to see the butanding (whale shark) was a poster on the check in counter where we stayed. In between, there were the "showbiz" appearances for the AIDS Candlelight Memorial ceremonies, first in Gumaca, then in San Pablo. I'm attending one for Pasay City later today. Then on Friday, there's one more for Metro Manila in Marikina Riverbanks. Last week, I attended a workshop at Fontana in Clarkfield, Pampanga organized by Tropical Disease Foundation for the fifth round Global Fund AIDS project. I celebrated my birthday with a plenary presentation in the workshop.

With so much work to be done, my mind is running on auto-cruise. I work on impulses. I had to trust myself for doing the right things without so much preponderance going into my actions. I also had to be most prayerfully trusting of my peers, as many other smaller but equally important details had to be decided and acted on their end. And speaking of prayers, I have seemed to develop short, silent, personal packets of time, breathing wishes of things to eventually come out right.

There are the bigger issues of course, of which at this point can be considered I'm in denial. Global Fund round 3's phase one coming to an end, our performance was considerably good (and maybe better than some others) but "they" want us out. Ouch! Global Fund round 5's around the corner, and "they" are already typecasting our role even before things have officially begun. Double ouch! Then, LEAD for Health just got pre-terminated, all SIO's (like us) have only until June 15th to accomplish, and until two days ago, they even hadn't transmitted a replenishment of funds. Triple ouch! Such madness! I remember last year, which now seemed to be ages ago, that some people told me USAID projects are a nightmare. I told them I'd wanted to find that out myself. Truly, now I can say, I found out.

Jimmy and Marc -- yay!

Jimmy Somerville and Marc Almond together! What a precious find!