Spread

We made a swift follow-through on our previous Mesa visit. After watching Angels and Demons last Friday, we agreed on getting a table for two. It was already crowded inside. So, instead of waiting for our turn, we chose to dine al fresco. No one was smoking anyway.

We tried the Salpicao Ostrich, which looked like a steak. We weren't able to take a snapshot of it, though. It has the same texture and color of beef. It has an aftertaste if you eat just the meat; it tastes good if you eat it with the button mushrooms and a small amount of sauce. But my buddy said that it would taste even better if you eat it with wine. We also ordered the Asparagus Tips, which I initially underestimated. Shame on me, tsk, tsk. It is in fact appetizing— must be the sauce. Mesa's freshly brewed coffee is memorable too. It has a very mellow and distinctive taste, almost crossing the hot choco tang. Loved it.

Overall, that Friday was an easy night out. =)

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If you haven't watched Angels and Demons yet, please do not proceed.

The movie has more surprising twists than the novel. Perhaps Ron Howard made those turns to lessen holes on the screenplay, which Dan Brown possibly allowed.

Though I am open to not sticking faithfully to the original story, understanding that no filmmaker can show everything from the book in two hours, I still can't find justice in changing the characters' involvement in very crucial scenes. It might be OK for those who have read the text because they have basis of truth. But for those people who simply watch the film, they wouldn't know the key events.

Here are the major content changes, as far as I remember:

• The discovery of Vetra's ruthless death by Vittoria. She's supposed to be the last one to know about it. It's acceptable if it's not emphasized that Vetra is her adoptive father. But Robert Langdon and Maximillian Kohler, who have been keeping the truth away from Vittoria, should be in the same room when she sees Vetra. Or, maybe, they cut the scene where the three characters are in that little bedlam. Still, it should have beeen emphasized that it is Kohler who discovers the crime at CERN.


• Where is Kohler, the powerful head of CERN in an electronic wheelchair?


• Kohler gets in touch with Langdon first, and not the Vatican.


• Vittoria's father has just died in a very wicked way, and she could already smile and pitch some jokes? Hmmm..all right this one is forgivable. It must be the acting.


• Missing BBC reporter and his camera girl. I think the media plays a significant role in the story. The duo has the direct account on the events after being contacted by the hassassin (hired killer). They also bridge the reality between the politics inside the Vatican and that of the outside world by feeding their network with the raw footage straight from the precise locations where most of the killing happen.


• Robert Langdon should be in the helicopter with the Carmelengo (Papal chamberlain). He also takes that huge sacrifice you know, and his is genuine.


• The truth inside the Papal room should be revealed through Kohler's handycam, and not through the security camera being monitored inside Commander Olivetti's room.


• Vittoria should be captured, dragged to the Church of Illumination, and almost harassed by the hassassin. And Langdon is supposed to save her.

Had they put a disclaimer informing an audience that some scenes have been modified for some reason, all these loopholes could have been bearable.

The film, however, also flaunts some plus points:

• Howard showcasts a fast-paced sequence. There are lots of chase scenes, preventing you from yawning or taking a pee or getting more popcorn.


• The cinematography is generally remarkable. Howard unreservedly takes you to the streets of Rome. [I'm not just sure about the scenes in the Vatican, knowing how strict and conservative are the laws there.] On the whole, most frames are grand and colorful.


• Ewan McGregor's portrayal of the soft-spoken Carmelengo slash Janus is pretty much satisfactory.


• Tom Hanks as Langdon is sporting an improved hairdo. He looks younger. =)

What I learned from film production classes is that when you watch a movie, especially when it is based on a book, always lower your expectation. Before the reel starts to spin, condition your mind that you are not going to see exactly every single detail that you read in the book. Watching this film was not an exemption. I could wholeheartedly accept the cast's performance. I could even let go of a lousy direction (I'm not saying that this is a lousy one) or a loose script. But removing the essential parts of the story was a total deal breaker.

*****

I still respect Ron Howard's craftsmanship. It's just that, I don't know, there must be something...