Directed by: James McTeigue
Starring: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, John Hurt
From the writers behind the Matrix trilogy, V for Vendetta is an amazing imagining of a not too distant future. Aside from being politically relevant, it wraps a great plot, characters, and action scenes into a rather kickass package.
Great Britain is now a fascist state. The people are spied on at all times. The government's henchmen, called "fingermen", assault civilians on a whim. Constant propaganda is blasted over the television sets. Any kind of dissent gets you whisked away in the middle of the night, never to be seen again. The film definitely draws from influences like Orwell's 1984.
It is on her way back from work at a television station that Evey (Portman) runs into a couple of the government "fingermen". Just before they are able to have their way with her, she is saved by a mysterious masked vigilante, who only calls himself "V" (Weaving). V wears a mask bearing the image of Guy Fawkes, a man who attempted to blow up the British parliament hundreds of years earlier on the fifth of November. The two part ways, only to be reunited later. V attacks the television station that employs Evey, broadcasting a message asking the citizenry to join him in one year's time, on the fifth of November. This time, Evey prevents V from being captured by the government. He rescues her, taking her to a place away from government eyes.
I don't want to give away too much more, because V for Vendetta is one of those films best enjoyed when you go in not knowing too much of what will happen. However, I will say that I have barely scratched the surface with this description. The plot is very deep and complex, but not too convoluted. It is a story of personal revenge, revelation, as well as a story of revolution.
Another area where the film shines is in the acting department. Natalie Portman is absolutely perfect in her role, showing true emotion all the way through. If anyone deserved an Oscar for best actress in 2006, it was her. Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith from the Matrix films, for those looking to put a face to the voice.) is equally good as V. His role has an added level of difficulty: He wears a mask throughout the entire film, allowing him to only emote with his voice and body language. John Hurt has a rather ironic role as the tyrannical Chancellor Sutler, who is always seen on large video screens angrily spouting off propaganda. His role is ironic because John Hurt played the opposite role of the film adaption of Orwell's 1984, as the citizen constantly being watched by a government figure on a television screen.
Stephen Rea also turns in a memorable performance. He plays a detective tasked with tracking down V after the attack on the television station. As he slowly uncovers a vast government conspiracy, his feelings about the "terrorist" he is supposed to apprehend change.
Bottom Line: 10/10: V for Vendetta is one of my personal favorites. Its very easy to make political connections between the world in the film and the world we live in today. This may be a turn off for some, but its not a movie that hammers you too hard with a political message. Its a well done drama film, with some truly moving moments and characters. Theres even a couple of well done action scenes thrown in, but don't expect non-stop bullets and explosions.
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