Saturday, April 01, 2006

V for Vendetta

Judy and I went to see this one yesterday, and we both enjoyed it immensely. Usually Judy's not too fond of the movies I choose, so I was glad to hit on one she liked.

The plot's pretty simple. The English government has become oppressive. The people have sacrificed freedom for security. The man known only as V wants to take the government down, so he sets about doing it. He's a terrorist, a revolutionary, or a freedom fighter, I guess, depending on your point of view. Or maybe he's an anarchist. Mainly, though, he just wants revenge (you'll have to see the movie to find out why; I'm not telling). He doesn't have any plans to replace the current government with something better. I can't remember the exact line from the movie, but when he's asked about that he says something like, "There are no certainties, only opportunities."


Hugo Weaving is V, and he plays the entire movie behind an immobile mask of Guy Fawkes. I thought he did an amazing job of conveying the character's thoughts and feelings with his voice and body language. In fact, I found him so convincing that a couple of times I almost thought the mask changed expression.

Natalie Portman plays a woman named Evey, who goes from conforming to the norm to informing on V even though he's rescued her, to helping him. I'd say she redeems herself for the various Star Wars prequels here.

The whole cast is good, and so is the script, which is more literate and less action-oriented than you might have been led to believe by the trailers. Check it out.

9 comments:

Cap'n Bob said...

A movie? I thought it was a Burger King commercial.

Cap'n Bob said...

Okay, on your say so I saw it yesterday with Kristine. I liked it a lot, she didn't understand it. Like the imprisonment scene. I explained it, but it was a stretch of logic even for me.

Unknown said...

Tell Kristine that I apologize.

Dave Zeltserman said...

I loved this movie. Very subversive.

Anonymous said...

Not nearly as subversive nor as thoughtful as the comic it's not closely-enough based on...I was disappointed by the film, but didn't hate it (unlike, say, CRASH, pretty nearly the worst film of last year...and unlike the solid if unexceptional films I've seen and liked better since V, THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA and INSIDE MAN...)

Unknown said...

Haven't seen those last two yet. Haven't seen Crash, either.

Dave Zeltserman said...

Crash is an interesting film in that most people either love it or hate it, calling the coincindences too farfeteched and manipulative. I perosnally loved it.

Anonymous said...

If you liked it, be sure to check out the graphic novel.

Or read The Watchmen, by Alan Moore as well. A great read which will probably die on the altar of cinema.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was another one of his that was DOA on film.

Unknown said...

Yes, they really screwed up The League . . . . I can see the story conference now: "You know what would make this great? If we added Tom Sawyer. And . . . a Batmobile!"