When Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code was published in 2003, it was an immediate sensation, spending over two-and-a-half years on the New York Times best-seller list. That fervor had barely died down when the movie adaptation starring Tom Hanks came out in 2006, ultimately earning a huge $750 million at the box office worldwide.
But 2006, and even 2009, when the sequel Angels and Demons was released, was a long time ago, and it’s difficult to see anyone clamoring for another Robert Langdon story, even with Hanks bringing his usual charm. Inferno finds Langdon suffering from amnesia after being attacked in Florence, Italy. He can’t remember what he’s doing in Florence, much less why anyone would go after him.
When an assassin comes to the hospital to finish the job, ER doctor Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones) helps Langdon escape. A worldly Brit, Brooks soon proves useful in helping Langdon decipher clues about his recent activities, most of which, naturally, are hidden in artworks around the city. The story also involves a plot by a billionaire (Ben Foster) to use a virus to eradicate half the world’s population, a scary idea that never really gains traction.
When it comes to a Dan Brown story, there should be no illusions about everything adding up. But even by that standard, Inferno doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, as it piles on twist after twist, to the point where it’s almost impossible to tell who’s a good guy and who’s a bad guy.
Director Ron Howard and writer David Koepp do a decent job of juggling all the complicated pieces, but they can only hold the balls in the air for so long. A handful of action set pieces are suitably thrilling, but with your head swimming from the complex storyline, it’s hard to get the full enjoyment out of them.
The actors, for their part, do an effective job at keeping the story moving. It’s far from his strongest role, but Hanks makes Langdon easy to root for, which is all you really need. Jones mostly seems to react to Hanks, neutering Brooks’ impact to a degree. She’s overshadowed by a strong performance by Sidse Babett Knudsen, playing a World Health Organization officer, as well as Omar Sy, a man with shifting loyalties.
For Inferno to fully succeed, its puzzles needed to be a lot more interesting or the action much more taut. As it stands, it’s merely a serviceable film that will kill two hours and leave your mind almost as quickly.
Austin's Mama Duke is set to showcase her original rap on America’s Got Talent.
Austin musician Mama Duke is no stranger to the limelight, but her journey to becoming a multifaceted artist has been anything but conventional. Now, she’s taking her artistry to a national stage, representing Austin on America's Got Talent (AGT). Her audition will air June 17 at 7 pm on NBC (locally on KXAN).
With deep roots in storytelling and a genre-defying sound, Mama Duke embodies creative evolution. Hopping between rap, pop, and other genres, her music is a testament to her love for bridging communities and celebrating individuality.
Music has always been a force of connection for Mama Duke, and that journey started early. Growing up in a household where rap wasn’t allowed, her mother instilled a love of storytelling through other genres, sparking her passion for lyrics and meaning. Now, the musician's refusal to be boxed into a single genre is central to her identity as an artist. She describes herself as being “in the middle of everything,” a reflection of her life experiences.
Her upcoming appearance on AGT marks a milestone in her career, one that she views as an opportunity not just for herself, but for all the communities she represents.
CultureMap took some time with Mama Duke to learn about her artistic point of view and audition on America's Got Talent. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
CultureMap: You've been in and around music since childhood. What is it about the medium of music that you love?
Mama Duke: "I grew up on the Mexican side of my family, and so my mom didn't let me listen to rap growing up, and I always was listening to, like, just oldies. And I owe my mom so much. But every time we listened to a country song, she'd turn it off and be like, ‘What do you think that was about?’ We talked about songs. And so it is just storytelling that I am so excited about. Obviously music performing, but also telling other people's stories ... pulling that out of you, that's what I love."
CM: You're often defined as 'genre hopping.' How would you describe your music to someone who's never heard it before?
MD: "I'm in this weird space for lack of a better word. I sometimes I don't know what to say. I love pop music. But then if somebody just introduced me as pop artist Mama Duke, or even when people say 'she's a rapper,' I'm like, that does not feel good, you know? And so I think I'm still developing that. I feel like I want to give you an answer. I don't have just one."
CM: That's part of what makes your music unique, too. You can hear the genre hopping, even in individual songs. Can you tell me more about your desire to mix styles?
MD: "For me, it's just like I am a bridge to a lot of different things. I'm half Black, half Mexican, right in the middle. I'm also a masc presenting queer woman. I am literally in the middle of all these communities. And so for me, it's like, I love being a bridge. It's something that doesn't turn off. I always say rap music got me here. Universal did a songwriting camp in the pandemic, and that's when I started making songs with people from Brazil. You know, I love bridging worlds."
CM: You're about to perform on America's Got Talent. What does it mean to you to represent Austin on the AGT stage?
MD: "Oh, man, it is literally for everyone. I mean, I would say triple whammy, right? I'm a part of so many minority groups, you know, and then you add artists in there. We're all trying just have some sort of spotlight on us. ... To be seen by such a big platform is — I can’t explain it. Imagine if you won the lottery and you cannot cash this until next February. You’re still moving. But you eat different things, treating people different. Traffic feels different. News feels different. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to feel like this; feel invincible, you feel invited to the table."
CM: What are you most excited for the world to see when your performance airs?
MD: "I hope people can see me beyond the performance, beyond my story. You know, like if you didn't like the song, you liked me. If you didn't like me, you liked the song, or you appreciated my outfit, or you laughed a little. I want people to see that a starving artist from Austin, Texas, is touching ... Simon [Cowell] or Scary Spice. I was always the Black girl. I always had to be, like, even if I wanted to be Sporty [Spice], I think, gladly, was always that loud Black girl. And so to be seen there, it's crazy."
CM: What was the turning point for you in moving from just listening and consuming to actually making music?
MD: "When I was younger, my mama had this software on her computer. Horrible mic, horrible, horrible, horrible. But it worked, and she had a CD burner. So here I am, 14 years old, rapping on this rinky dink mic, burning it and selling it in the hallways. I really didn't know you could be anybody and get paid for it. It was just, I love to do it. Then I went to the Art Institute for photography — that was my first love. I heard that Austin was the Live Music Capital of the World. Moved to Austin, started performing, and I was like, ‘People pay for this?' Even $50? You want to give me $50 to do the song I made in my closet? ... I was just winging it."
CM: What advice do you have for musicians in Austin trying to make it to where you are?
MD: "I mean, it's a little lonely for anybody out there in the early stages or middle stages. Your blueprint is not going to look like mine. You're really precious. ... Truly, to have this golden ticket to go audition, it's like every 'no' mattered. The day after my audition airs, [I'll go to work at] the YMCA... I could be mad about that, like, dang, I got this opportunity, and I still got to clock in the day after. [But] I get to do that, and I'm okay with that. Your story is your story. You have to love that part of it, to love this part. If you are truly an artist, this is what we do. We struggle and fall in love with that part."
