Orwell for the new century.

Rating: 8/10 (6 September 2006)

In a near-future fascist England perpetually at war, a masked terrorist nicknamed V fights the government that made him, seeking to incite an uprising.
After crumbling under the weight and pretentiousness of their later Matrix episodes, graphic novel fans Larry and Andy Wachowsky hand the reins of a long considered project to their former second unit director. McTeigue surprises pleasantly, showing himself more at ease than his mentors would have been with a very talky script. V is mostly about ideas and the words spoken in it are more inspiring/terrifying than the actions.
V the character remains masked throughout the film, a detail that might disturb certain viewers, but is essential. This is so he can remain, in his eyes as in those of others, an idea rather than a mortal. Mortals die, ideas do not. Natalie Portman is quite generic, she could be anyone under the right circumstances, which is the whole point, to show that the seeds of submission and of rebellion exist within each of us. What is most chilling about "V for Vendetta", however, is its depiction of a quite probable near future. Granted John Hurt's demagogue is a bit to Hitlerian to resemble any modern western leader, but the film doesn't shy away from parallels with what Aemrica, England or most of the West might become if pushed to far. The beauty of V is that rather than play to the crowds and just condemn cartoony villains, it blames the public that allows for these monsters to be created and turns a blind eye in return for the illusion of security.
In these confused times, where the public is constantly being brainwashed by single-perspectives and rallies unquestioningly to the flag, "V for Vendetta" is a very fitting update of George Orwell's message.
That is manages to also be unique and hugely entertaining as a film is just another welcome bonus. The most intelligent blockbuster since... The Matrix.