V for Vendetta Movie Review:

Back in 1981, critically acclaimed graphic novelist Alan Moore conceived an unrelentless vision of the future. His main character was a dark and twisted revolutionary who would stop at nothing to bring down a corrupt futuristic government. Only known by “V” the character was deeply scarred and at times unrelatable. V was a bastard of society and also society’s worst nightmare.

In the film version, Evey (Natalie Portman) is making her way to a romantic rendezvous when she is confronted by three men who want to rob and rape her. That is until a man in black wearing a Guy Fawkes mask appears in the night. The man quickly dispenses of the rapists and rescues Evey. He asks Evey to join him for a vision that will change her life. Caught up in the moment she joins him. She watches from a roof-top with the masked man as he blows up a bell tower and claims to have ushered in a new dawn in society. His voice is eloquent and his words almost hypnotizing as Evey becomes more curious about this man.

The film intensifies as a detective (Stephen Rea) is assigned to investigate the socially dubbed terrorist known only as V (Hugo Weaving). Evey is now dubbed as an accomplice in V’s plight and she is forced to live with the masked man where she learns more and more about this man of shadows. Is V evil or good? How far would you go for revenge and freedom?

The graphic novel asked a lot of questions about who we are as people and how society sculpts it. It was one of the landmark graphic novels of the past 30 years and the film helps make it relevant today. With so much corruption in government and social paranoia running rampant it is interesting to see that Hollywood has resurrected this complicated character.

I never really wanted to see this turned into a film because I guess I knew what V stood for. I was appalled of all the “Matrix” references associated with its promotions. I guess I felt that was like saying “Frankenstein” brought to you by the creators of “Date Movie” and “Big Daddy”. I guess I forgot to tell myself that Hollywood has no scruples or is it just super-producer Joel Silver. Sorry I keep getting that mixed up.

“V” was meant to be an indie movie that taught its lesson to everyone not just the spam-filled minds of the “Matrix” demographic.

As I watched this new version of “V”, I actually found myself enjoying it even if there were blatant pop culture references in some sequences. I guess the reason I found myself liking it was that I found myself relating to “V” which I couldn’t do in the novel.

Then the film dove into Evey’s capture and I found myself losing my grip on what the film was trying to convey and my like for what was transpiring. On the other hand, it also made the novel make more sense. If V isn’t relatable and more psychotic than you probably understand what he does in the film’s second half more. Making him likeable and being almost heroic makes his actions have less impact. This guy isn’t Batman nor should he ever be conceived as so.

I have to commend Natalie Portman for her performance in this film because she is astoundingly good. I also loved Hugo Weaving as V even if we never get to see him. I couldn’t imagine anyone else giving such a powerful performance in voice alone. He projects such magic, presence through every word spoken by this tormented yet eloquent monster.

I have to say that Hollywood didn’t destroy the true nature of the story and characters but when you have something this deep slapping Hollywood glitz and tinsel on it is just wrong.

(3.5 out of 5) So Says the Soothsayer

Dean Kish

 

This stylish and thrilling film is so gorgeously visual and thematically resonant that we don't really mind if the characters are a bit shallow. At least they're played with intelligence and subtlety.

Evey (Portman) is a young woman caught up in revolution when she's kidnapped by the masked terrorist V (Weaving), who's unleashing horrible vengeance on London's government. The manipulative dictator Sutler (Hurt) sends both cops (Rea and Graves) and a government henchmen (Picott-Smith) after both V and Evey. And as things escalate into all-out mayhem, Evey starts to think for herself, realising that V might be a good guy fighting a system that has systematically murdered and lied to the nation.

Yes, this storyline has strikingly resonant political undercurrents, which might strike too-biased ideological notes for some viewers. As a whole, the themes are subtle and clever, but there are razor sharp points along the way, and as the story sweeps to a nicely controlled finale, it becomes edgy and deeply provocative, lingering in our minds and forcing us to thing about terrorism from the other side of the coin--namely, the terrorism that gave us "liberty" to begin with.

The cast is also intriguingly layered, making the most of characters that are simplistically written. Portman and Rea are especially good; Fry is engagingly droll as always. And Weaving does wonders with his role, even though we never see his face. Not only is the mask skilfully designed, but Weaving uses minimalist vocal and bodily inflections to convey the character, never going for obvious miming or theatricality.

There are visual and thematic echoes from Zorro to Phantom, and the plot feels in many ways like a gritty action sequel to Orwell's 1984. And while there's a definite feeling of style over substance, it's still so bracingly original on screen, and grippingly personal in tone, that we can't help but get swept along with it. So when in the end it surprises us with a jolt of raw emotion, and we can actually see the nobility in a horrific terrorist act, the film really gets us thinking. And that's never a bad thing.

Rich Cline

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