Movie Review - V For Vendetta

When it came to watching V for Vendetta, I found myself thinking that if Natalie Portman had shown this much emotion during the recent Star Wars movies, they might have been much better.

Portman plays Evey, a Londoner in a not-too-distant future, in which a totalitarian regime has taken control of everything, under the guise of 'protecting' its civilians (and if any of this sounds eerily familiar to the world we live in now, it should). This world persecutes anyone who is different, including homosexuals, and there are very few people of color who turn up on screen. Art is considered 'dangerous' and is hidden away, as is the Koran. Trucks stroll through city streets, listening in on conversations. Protesters simply disappear from their homes.

Evey is headed out to dinner one evening when she breaks curfew. She's attacked by men representing the regime who plan to rape her, but she's rescued by a mysterious man in a Guy Fawkes mask known only as 'V'. From there she's drawn, a step at a time, into his world and his goal. He wants to break the country free from this regime and reintroduce a little anarchy through violence, and as the movie progresses we see how he plans to do this and how he came to wear the mask in the first place. You can easily debate with your friends whether bloody violence is a worthy way to end such a regime or not; that's a good question.

After V has made his manifesto, he's tracked by Inspector Finch (Stephen Rea) and the Chancellor (John Hurt, needing Crest White Strips very badly). One of the most compelling parts of the film for me was watching Finch come to terms with what this regime has become and how it contributed to V's need for revenge.

Portman actually does quite a bit emotionally in this movie, although I'm beginning to see her as an actress whose emoting lacks - something. I wish I could say what it was, but I'm just not sure. I've liked quite a few of the movies she's done, and here she's asked to cover a lot of ground, but for a while now she hasn't entirely convinced me on-screen. Still, despite that, she does a worthy job here, especially in a late but pivotal scene with V (you'll know it because she's wearing orange, and that's all the spoiler I'll give). And if you're wondering how she looks with her head shaved, it actually works for her.

Hugo Weaving plays 'V' without benefit of facial expressions because he remains behind the mask the entire film and uses his fabulous voice to convey much more than you might imagine. (If you're wondering who Hugo Weaving is, all I have to say is 'Mr. Anderson?' and you should hear him speaking immediately. Or remember Elrond from the Lord of the Rings.) In supporting roles, Rea does well with his weary everyman approach, and Stephen Fry shows Evey the power of television, and the inevitable results.

I will be honest in displaying my preference for movies that take a poke at the current state of the world. You'll see at least one protest sign that mentions President Bush, and although it's quick, there are references to society as it's becoming for us now. In fact, the movie says the United States is in the middle of a civil war and hints it has become merely another Third World country, embroiled in its own battles and ravaged by disease. This is a cautionary tale, and it strikes close to home, even though the graphic novel, I'm told, was written in the early 80s. You need to pay close attention to follow the setup in the beginning, although by the very end the movie twists into an action flick, with a sword/gun fight that resembles a dance in the way it's filmed. I found the ending a little unsatisfying but the movie had to be ambitious, covering a lot of ground in a short time, so I don't recommend you try to watch this while playing Texas Hold 'Em. This film needs all your concentration.

Animal Trauma: None. Cute men with guns is another story altogether.

Overall: If you want to see a graphic novel adaptation, skip the cinematic crap we've been doused with the last few years (Sin City and Batman Begins being the exceptions), and watch this movie. Four roses out of five.