Paul Bettany: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

4. Silas - The Da Vinci Code (2006)

As I observed in my article on Robert Redford, working with the same director over and over again is not a guarantee of consistent quality. But while you may dispute Sydney Pollack's work with Redford on Out of Africa, there are few who would argue the merits of The Da Vinci Code, at least not over Ron Howard's other films. And while Tom Hanks bore the brunt of criticism (not least for that awful haircut), Bettany's performance is just as disappointing. The Da Vinci Code is a mystery-thriller based on the Dan Brown novel of the same name. It stars Hanks as Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor of religious iconography and symbology who is accused of murdering the curator of the Louvre. Having escaped through the efforts of French criminologist Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou), they become embroiled in the quest for the Holy Grail, which leads them on a wild chase over Paris and into conflict with a secret sect within Opus Dei... Whatever your opinions on the film's depiction of the Catholic church, it's difficult not to dismiss The Da Vinci Code for taking itself too seriously. Howard takes a story which is inherently pulpy and tries to present it as an edgy, high-profile drama, the result being either boredom or unintentional hilarity. Bettany is dealt a poor hand in this regard as a self-flagellating monk; his actions are completely over-the-top and played with such a straight face that it's nigh-on impossible to believe in his character.