Wasted opportunity

Rating: 4/10 (16 August 2006)

Yet again, the Wachowski brothers have proved to us that they can't write a decent screenplay. The original Matrix movie is looking more and more like a fluke with each film they unleash upon the unsuspecting public.
First of all, the script is awful. The dialogue is forcedand unnatural. The first words a shocked Natalie Portman says to V are "Are you like a crazy person?". Later, upon being brutally tortured for several months, her initial reaction is "...you cut my hair!". The rest of the movie consists of V endlessly spouting his ideology and delivering snappy one liners to use in promotional material ("people should not be afraid of their governments, governments should be afraid of their people" "behind this mask is an idea, and ideas are bulletproof", etc). The writers for some reason found it necessary to make V explain every single thing he does, and why he does it. Everything. is. spelled. out.
The script is not really helped by the acting. Natalie Portman has once again shown the world that she has very little talent. She delivers her typical wooden performance, made even worse by her unfortunate English accent. She reeks of self-consciousness. She doesn't have what it takes to carry an entire movie. She should stick to supporting roles, or even better, go do something useful with her Harvard degree that she's so proud of. Why they didn't get an English actress is beyond me, it's not like there's a shortage. Hugo Weaving is excellent as always, but it's sad when someone acting through a mask can out-emote someone without. Stephen Rea is decent, but instantly forgettable. I don't know how to describe it other than saying it's a 'nothing' performance. I couldn't take Steven Fry seriously, but that's probably because I'm not used to him taking on dramatic roles. Same problem with Ben Miles. John Hurt did a good job with an irritating and badly written part. He isn't much more than an angry man on a screen.
I'm not bothered that it isn't an action film, even though it was marketed as one. What does bother me though are the action scenes that are in: they feel like an afterthought, as if they've been randomly inserted at the last minute. The final fight scene (out of 2) is awkward and bland, and completely illogical. It also involves a truly horrible knife-bullet-time. The Wachowski's must realise that's the only reason anyone really likes them. After being shot several times, V is completely fine and still able to take on 10 or so men. This is justified by the corny bulletproof line.
Apparently the makers think they are artistic, as demonstrated by the various badly done and, again, illogical 'metaphors' inserted throughout the film. Possibly my favourite involves V, on the eve of his revolution, setting up a giant metaphorical domino arrangement, then knocking it down to reveal his name. Trailer moment, anyone? Other brilliant moments involve Natalie Portman stretching her arms out in the rain, intercut with V doing the same in fire, and dead people being alive with a voice-over explaining why they are still alive (nice and abstractly though). These truly moronic moments, while not making the film seem any smarter, at least add some comic relief. The real attempts at comic relief are bizarre if anything, namely a scene in which V is wearing a pink frilly apron.
Possibly the biggest flaw in the film is that the totalitarian government isn't bad at all. It doesn't make sense that everyone would want a revolution. It's fair enough that V wants revenge for personal reasons, there aren't actually much politics behind his actions. But for the everyday people, life isn't so terrible (as far as the viewer knows). The general public seems to consist of 2 wholesome suburban families, living in nice modern houses with big flat screen TV's. The most terrifying thing about this government, on a day to day basis, is that the news channels aren't very reliable. As long as you don't have a secret room full of Qu'rans and S&M pictures, you'll be fine. For "An uncompromising vision of the future" it's pretty damn tame.
The sets are bland, and the entire thing has that BBC-TV-Movie feel. The cinematography is bland, with the exception of one cool shot of V jumping off a building. The music is bland, the lighting is bland, the direction is bland. It doesn't feel like a whole lot of love went into making this.
It's not all bad though. The film is at least entertaining, and it only drags in a few places. It just doesn't know what it wants to be. It half-heartedly swings between trying to be a social commentary and trying to be an action film. The only thing that links it as a whole is that it thinks it's more intelligent than it is. The R rating is completely wrong. V for Vendetta seems to be written for people aged 14 and under. The totalitarian government isn't really very totalitarian. It is dystopia-lite, and the more complex themes are simplified and over-explained. The viewer is talked down to throughout. If the Wachowski's wanted to be taken seriously with this, which they clearly did, they should have taken the audience more seriously.
It's a pity, this movie could have been excellent. With a stronger script (much stronger), a more interesting director, and a competent leading lady, it could have become a classic. As it is, it's an exercise in mediocrity, and a cowardly take on a controversial issue.