Shockingly Good

Rating: 10/10 (28 May 2006)

I hadn't intended to see this film but it was on at the IMAX and I had a free evening so I figured I'd take a look see. After all a comic book film would have effects and those would look amazing on a giant screen, thus compensating for all the shortcomings that comic book films so often have.
WOW!!!! It was a film chock-full of ideas, many of which are still fermenting in my head. It was about the indomitable human spirit. It was about the integrity of each individual. It was about a vendetta. It was about love of self, love of society (a much-abused concept), love of an individual, love of ideas, love of art, love of books, love of words, love of your fellow man. By the end I was almost hyperventilating at the power of the images and the ideas and the possibilities.
What didn't I like? Well, I wouldn't have cast Natalie Portman. She was too California skinny and her accent was appalling. I'd have got an actress with a healthier English build and the ability to hold an English accent. Having said that, she didn't let the film down or make it unwatchable. The cast, directors and production team were so good that they were able to carry her easily.
Please see this film. It may shock you but it will also make you think.