V for Vendetta (2006)

Natalie Portman
Hugo Weaving
John Hurt
Stephen Rea
Rupert Graves

Directed by James McTeigue

Plot: Against the futuristic landscape of totalitarian Britain, a young working-class woman named Evey is rescued from a life-and-death situation by a masked man known only as "V." Profoundly complex, V is at once literary, flamboyant, tender and intellectual, a man dedicated to freeing his fellow citizens from those who have terrorized them into compliance. He is also bitter, revenge-seeking, lonely and violent, driven by a personal vendetta. In his quest to free the people of England from the corruption and cruelty that have poisoned their government, V condemns the tyrannical nature of their appointed leaders and invites his fellow citizens to join him in the shadows of Parliament of November the 5th--Guy Fawkes Day. On that day in 1605, Guy Fawkes was discovered in a tunnel beneath Parliament with 36 barrels of gunpowder. He and his co-conspirators had engineered the treasonous "Gunpowder Plot" in response to the tyranny of their government under James I. Fawkes and his fellow saboteurs were hanged, drawn and quartered, and their plan to take down their government never came to pass. In the spirit of that rebellion, in remembrance of that day, V vows to carry out the plot that Fawkes was executed for attempting on November 5th in 1605: he will blow up Parliament. As Evey uncovers the truth about V's mysterious past, she also discovers the truth about herself--and emerges as his unlikely ally in the culmination of his plan to ignite a revolution, bringing freedom and justice back to a society fraught with cruelty and corruption.

Review: I never read this comic, so I had nothing to base the film on. I like Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving, so it was a plus. I was a fan of the first Matrix movie so I figured there was a possible good movie in there. What I got was a more than I expected.

The movie is visually brilliant and interesting. Although everything was dark and dingy, it was somehow still vibrant and appealing. The action was cool and well choreographed. I wasn’t that impressed with Natalie Portman, but not due to a bad performance. I felt she did a great job with her character, I just didn’t think it was a standout performance. Hugo Weaving on the other hand is another story. I loved listening to his dialogue. I thought he executed it with pure brilliance. I found myself captivated every time ‘V’ was on the screen, whether it was dialogue or action. I found ‘V’ to be a refreshing and original character not scene in film in some time. Another part of the movie that intrigued me was the way the film was put together with an important message, but still kept the film moving smoothly and never got to preachy. I don’t know how close it follows the comic book, but I really enjoyed this film and plan to watch it again. I know Alan Moore has a deep dislike for Hollywood versions of his comics (of course with the League, I can’t blame him), but I hope this is a film that captured somewhat of the brilliant writing he produces.
 

Film Review Index