On a perfectly fine Saturday, while my mother and I were eating at Junction 8, my mother suddenly suggested, "Hey, why don't we go for a movie today?" Upon hearing this, I was elated as it has been quite some time since I have watched a movie. I instantly agreed.
At the Cinema, I saw the movie poster "Angels & Demons". I had recently heard comments from my friends saying that the movie was great. Hence, as the other movies were all fully booked, I decided to see that one.
Under the watchful eye of Father Silvano Bentivoglio and Dr. Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer), the CERN scientists start the Large Hadron Collider and manage to capture three vial
s of antimatter. Immediately afterward, someone kills Father Silvano, and uses his retina to break into the containment room to steal one vial of anti-matter.
In Rome, the Vatican mourns the passing of the Pope. The Vatican staff prepares for the Conclave of the College of Cardinals, which will select the next Pope. Until the Conclave selects a new Pope, Patrick Mackenna, the Camerlengo (Ewan McGregor) assumes day-to-day control of the Vatican. Reporters, nuns, priests and other faithful all crowd into St. Peter's Square, waiting for the white smoke from the Conclave. But the Illuminati, a 400-year old, underground secret society of scientists, kidnaps the four most likely candidates (preferiti) before the Conclave goes into seclusion. The Illuminati threatens to brand and publicly execute them at 8, 9, 10 and 11 PM, choosing methods of murder linked to the four elements, earth, air, fire and water. They do this as as vengeance for 'La Perga', when Illuminati members were cleansed of their sins and executed. They then threaten to destroy the Vatican in a burst of light at midnight, using the highly explosive anti-matter, shown on a live video illuminated by artifical light. The command is then given to systematically shut off the power in areas of Rome and the Vatican, so that they will find out which area the Illuminati are hiding the canister in.
The Vatican summons Dr. Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) and Vittoria Vetra from CERN to help them solve the Illuminati's threat, save the four preferiti, and replace the vial's batteries. Langdon listens to the Illuminati message and deduces that the four cardinals will die at the four altars of the Path of Illumination. However, no one knows where these altars are located. Vetra demands the Swiss Guard fly Father Silvano's diaries from Switzerland. They hope he wrote down the name of whomever he discussed the CERN experiment. Langdon demands access to the Vatican Archives (a request he has made ten times already, in order to perform research for his book, and which has been denied each time) to see the original copy of Galileo's banned book. Using the clue from this book, Langdon, Vetra, and Lieutenant Olivetti (Victor Alfieri) of the Vatican police race to the first church, only to find the corpse of the first Cardinal, branded with the word 'Earth'. The first Cardinal's mouth and throat is found full of earth. They find the direction of the church with the second Illuminati altar, but arrive just in time to see the next Cardinal die, branded with the word 'Air', this one has been stabbed in the lung, thus making him unable to breathe.
While Langdon returns with Lieutenant Chatrand to the archives in order to discover the fire altar, Vittoria stays behind and begins to read the popes journals. Langdon finds out that the next altar is the sculpture of Theresa on Fire. Suddenly the power in the room, kept in a partial vaccum to protect the documents inside, cuts out. The oxygen levels begin to deplete and Langdon attempts to break the door by knocking it with a book case, which has no effect. He takes the hand gun of the now unconscious Chartrand and shoots the glass, before climbing back onto the book case and blacking out. However, the combination of the bullet-weakened glass and the pressure of the book case breaks the door just in time for the power to return. Langdon locates the third church with the third Illuminati altar, but fails to save the third Cardinal from burning to death, while the assassin kills the Vatican policemen. Langdon convinces the Roman police to race to a public fountain, the location of the Water altar, and manages to save the last Cardinal from drowning.
Vittoria meanwhile, explains to the Carmelengo that the Pope may not have died of a stroke as first thought, but of an overdose of medication, and that the signs on his body would only be apparent a week after his death. The pair go to the tomb of the pope, and sure enough the Pope has signs of an overdose on his body. Commander Richter then confiscates the diaries of the Father Silvano, outraging Vittoria. As 12 o'clock approaches, Langdon and Vittoria hurry to what they think the final altar, where they discover that there is a fifth brand, meant for the pope himself, or the Camerlengo. The assasin has been in the room the entire time, and reveals himself. He tells them he was not asked to kill them, but if they continue to persue him, it will be another matter. The assassin then abseils down the building and gets into his car, but it is unbeknownst to him that a bomb has been fixed to his car, which subsequently explodes, killing him. Vittoria and Langdon eventually return to find Patrick lying on the floor, branded, pointing at Commander Richter and accusing him of the branding. Chatrand then shoots
Richter. The three eventually discover the canister, but there isn't enough time to change the batteries. Patrick grabs the canister and runs out to the helicopter stationed to evacuate the older cardinals. He gets in and begins sharply ascending with less than 5 minutes. Vittoria and Langdon watch, believing that Patrick is going to sacrifice himself, until they spot his parachute coming down. Suddenly the anti-matter explodes, destroying The Sistine Chapel and seriously damaging the surrounding area. The cardinals then decide that Patrick should be made pope, and summon him. Vittoria and Langdon return to Richter's office to take the journals, and discover that there are surveilance cameras installed throughout the vatican. Watching the evenings events, they discover Patrick was actually behind the entire Illuminati story, in order to appear a martyr and become pope. Cardinal Strauss sends Chatrand and his men to kill him, but before they reach him, Patrick douses himself in holy oil and sets him self alight. The only remaining member of the Prefereti is made pope, choosing the never-before used name 'Luke'. As a gift for his help, Langdon is given the document he needs to complete the second part of his book, with the request that in his last will and testimony it 'finds its way home'.
At the Cinema, I saw the movie poster "Angels & Demons". I had recently heard comments from my friends saying that the movie was great. Hence, as the other movies were all fully booked, I decided to see that one.
Under the watchful eye of Father Silvano Bentivoglio and Dr. Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer), the CERN scientists start the Large Hadron Collider and manage to capture three vial
s of antimatter. Immediately afterward, someone kills Father Silvano, and uses his retina to break into the containment room to steal one vial of anti-matter.In Rome, the Vatican mourns the passing of the Pope. The Vatican staff prepares for the Conclave of the College of Cardinals, which will select the next Pope. Until the Conclave selects a new Pope, Patrick Mackenna, the Camerlengo (Ewan McGregor) assumes day-to-day control of the Vatican. Reporters, nuns, priests and other faithful all crowd into St. Peter's Square, waiting for the white smoke from the Conclave. But the Illuminati, a 400-year old, underground secret society of scientists, kidnaps the four most likely candidates (preferiti) before the Conclave goes into seclusion. The Illuminati threatens to brand and publicly execute them at 8, 9, 10 and 11 PM, choosing methods of murder linked to the four elements, earth, air, fire and water. They do this as as vengeance for 'La Perga', when Illuminati members were cleansed of their sins and executed. They then threaten to destroy the Vatican in a burst of light at midnight, using the highly explosive anti-matter, shown on a live video illuminated by artifical light. The command is then given to systematically shut off the power in areas of Rome and the Vatican, so that they will find out which area the Illuminati are hiding the canister in.
The Vatican summons Dr. Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) and Vittoria Vetra from CERN to help them solve the Illuminati's threat, save the four preferiti, and replace the vial's batteries. Langdon listens to the Illuminati message and deduces that the four cardinals will die at the four altars of the Path of Illumination. However, no one knows where these altars are located. Vetra demands the Swiss Guard fly Father Silvano's diaries from Switzerland. They hope he wrote down the name of whomever he discussed the CERN experiment. Langdon demands access to the Vatican Archives (a request he has made ten times already, in order to perform research for his book, and which has been denied each time) to see the original copy of Galileo's banned book. Using the clue from this book, Langdon, Vetra, and Lieutenant Olivetti (Victor Alfieri) of the Vatican police race to the first church, only to find the corpse of the first Cardinal, branded with the word 'Earth'. The first Cardinal's mouth and throat is found full of earth. They find the direction of the church with the second Illuminati altar, but arrive just in time to see the next Cardinal die, branded with the word 'Air', this one has been stabbed in the lung, thus making him unable to breathe.
While Langdon returns with Lieutenant Chatrand to the archives in order to discover the fire altar, Vittoria stays behind and begins to read the popes journals. Langdon finds out that the next altar is the sculpture of Theresa on Fire. Suddenly the power in the room, kept in a partial vaccum to protect the documents inside, cuts out. The oxygen levels begin to deplete and Langdon attempts to break the door by knocking it with a book case, which has no effect. He takes the hand gun of the now unconscious Chartrand and shoots the glass, before climbing back onto the book case and blacking out. However, the combination of the bullet-weakened glass and the pressure of the book case breaks the door just in time for the power to return. Langdon locates the third church with the third Illuminati altar, but fails to save the third Cardinal from burning to death, while the assassin kills the Vatican policemen. Langdon convinces the Roman police to race to a public fountain, the location of the Water altar, and manages to save the last Cardinal from drowning.
Vittoria meanwhile, explains to the Carmelengo that the Pope may not have died of a stroke as first thought, but of an overdose of medication, and that the signs on his body would only be apparent a week after his death. The pair go to the tomb of the pope, and sure enough the Pope has signs of an overdose on his body. Commander Richter then confiscates the diaries of the Father Silvano, outraging Vittoria. As 12 o'clock approaches, Langdon and Vittoria hurry to what they think the final altar, where they discover that there is a fifth brand, meant for the pope himself, or the Camerlengo. The assasin has been in the room the entire time, and reveals himself. He tells them he was not asked to kill them, but if they continue to persue him, it will be another matter. The assassin then abseils down the building and gets into his car, but it is unbeknownst to him that a bomb has been fixed to his car, which subsequently explodes, killing him. Vittoria and Langdon eventually return to find Patrick lying on the floor, branded, pointing at Commander Richter and accusing him of the branding. Chatrand then shoots
Richter. The three eventually discover the canister, but there isn't enough time to change the batteries. Patrick grabs the canister and runs out to the helicopter stationed to evacuate the older cardinals. He gets in and begins sharply ascending with less than 5 minutes. Vittoria and Langdon watch, believing that Patrick is going to sacrifice himself, until they spot his parachute coming down. Suddenly the anti-matter explodes, destroying The Sistine Chapel and seriously damaging the surrounding area. The cardinals then decide that Patrick should be made pope, and summon him. Vittoria and Langdon return to Richter's office to take the journals, and discover that there are surveilance cameras installed throughout the vatican. Watching the evenings events, they discover Patrick was actually behind the entire Illuminati story, in order to appear a martyr and become pope. Cardinal Strauss sends Chatrand and his men to kill him, but before they reach him, Patrick douses himself in holy oil and sets him self alight. The only remaining member of the Prefereti is made pope, choosing the never-before used name 'Luke'. As a gift for his help, Langdon is given the document he needs to complete the second part of his book, with the request that in his last will and testimony it 'finds its way home'.
A great narrative description of the movie, but did you enjoy it? I want your reaction. Cherish these outings with your mother or father at the theatre. I can still remember my parents taking me out the movies when I was small. That's one of the reasons I found the micro fiction piece "A Cowboy Movie" so sad.
ReplyDeleteI'd like you to share "A Cowboy Movie" with your mom. I'm curious if she would make the connection between an outing with a child and the sad ending to the Micro Fiction piece. If you have your examples at home, let her read it.
ReplyDeleteAlthough she didn't make that connetion, she reviewed these few points.
ReplyDelete-The popcorns on the ground foreshadows Jack's father being able to wake up just like the popcorn which can be picked up.
-However, the gum, which cannot be picked up easily, counters his thoughts and foreshadows Jack's father not being able to wake up.
-Thus, it tells us that Jack was unsure of his father's future whether he can wake up or not.
-Jack dosen't want to believe that his father is dead and he wants to stay like that forever, not knowing whether his father was neither dead nor alive as he watched the credits roll.