V for re-View

Rating: 9/10 (19 March 2006)

The latest film from the Wachowski Brothers, this adaptation of Alan Moore's dark, brilliant graphic novel is the movie that this country needs to see. For the uninitiated, V for Vendetta is the story of a scarred, masked vigilante fighting against the forces of fascist Britain in the year 2015. Inspired by the actions of 17th century proto-terrorist Guy Fawkes (who tried to blow up Parliament in an act still known as the Gunpowder Plot, V moves that story forward into a nightmare world, where politicians control the airwaves, music and art are banned and the subways are shut down so that the populace may be better controlled. Sound familiar, dear reader?
Hugo Weaving gives the performance of his career--part of the fun of this is it's like The Matrix but you get to root for Agent Smith. Concealed for the entire film behind a grinning Guy Fawkes mask--itself eerily reminiscent of the current spate of Burger King commercials, V encounters Evey (pronounce it) and enlists her aid in his explosive crusade. Weaving is physically elegant, and uses his voice through the mask to amazing effect--the performance recalls Andy Serkis' work as Gollum and King Kong.
As Evey, Natalie Portman is here the professional actress who first dazzled us in Leon. Surrounded by a solid cast, including Stephen Fry, John Hurt, and Stephen Rea, the movie resonates with echos of great art works that have gone before it, from Beethoven's opera "Fidelio" to the Ring Cycle and the Matrix trilogy. Director James McTeague keeps the action moving along, but the viewer must also pay attention to the dialogue and narration--this is a dense movie and your concentration is required.