The BBC's Caroline Briggs has published her review of the Da Vinci Code, saying:

While the plot worked its magic on the pages, it does not transfer well to the screen - here, it is long and it is dull.

Despite trying to get the film banned or cut, the Da Vinci Code film has gone on show in Asia as planned, although some countries have place an adult certificate on it, due to its religious themes.

People are beginning to gather now at the Cannes Film Festival for the world premiere of the Da Vinci Code Film. According to the BBC:

So far there are no signs of protesters. The film, based on the Dan Brown best-seller, has proved controversial with some Catholics.

Those camped on deck chairs along the Croisette assure me they are fans.

The film has been fraught with tension as religious groups protest against the film's content. In Thailand, the film may have the last 10 minutes cut from it. In South Korea, Greece and India, boycotts have been planned, and has been slammed by Catholic cardinals.

Darren Waters, a BBC Reporter, is delivering an update to all the happenings at the Cannes Film Festival as they occur. Highlights today will be based upon the premiere of the Da Vinci Code.

High Definition trailers of The Da Vinci Code are available online to view if you haven't caught them yet!

The Festival de Cannes will pay tribute to Anouk Aimée on Saturday May 27th, 2006.

A legendary actress, she's unforgettable as Lola in Model Shop (1969) by Jacques Demy, enigmatic and mysterious in Federico Fellini's The Sweet Life and 8 ½.

She acquires international celebrity with the success of A Man and a Woman by Claude Lelouch, Palme d'Or in 1966 and is also awarded the Golden Globe for Best Actress. During her career she works with the greatest names in filmmaking, such as Bernardo Bertolucci, Anatole Litvak, Vittorio de Sica, André Delvaux, George Cukor and Robert Altman.

Thais may not be able to see the "The Da Vinci Code" movie after a police-run censorship board ordered the last 10 minutes cut and some sub-titles changed before it is shown in the largely Buddhist country.

The preview viewing for the press at the Cannes Film Festival has been rather tame, given the press coverage of the film over the past few weeks.

the reaction at the first press screening in Cannes was largely negative, and loud laughter broke out at one of the pivotal scenes.

"Nothing really works. It's not suspenseful. It's not romantic. It's certainly not fun," said Stephen Schaefer of the Boston Herald.

"It seems like you're in there forever. And you're conscious of how hard everybody's working to try to make sense of something that basically perhaps is unfilmable."

Oliver Stone will receive the first annual Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Leo The Lion Award on 21 May at the Cannes Film Festival.

An interesting article on the Da Vinci Code book tries to determine how this book, written by an almost unknown author, has managed to skyrocket to the top of the book charts the world over.