Terrific!

Rating: 9/10 (29 November 2018)

It is the year 2020. England is reigned by a fascist government, ensuring safety at the expense of freedom. How did it come this far? Not by a hostile takeover it seems, the British voted for it. But they voted under the influence of the most powerful force in the world - Fear. Some may argue that love is more powerful, but even love can be conquered by the fear of losing someone dear to yourself.
This is the scenery that is painted by James McTeigue. But there is one who opposes it: V. Wearing a Guy Fawkes Mask, blowing up the old Bailey, attacking those who build this regime. It is not just V's biography that is told in this movie though. He's more than person, he stands for an idea maybe an ideal and we watch the story unfold around him as he guides us through London. Main characters are the absolutely wonderful Evey played by Natalie Portman and the inspector hunting V (Stephen Rea), slowly realizing that too many coincidences have happened in the past. V himself, played by Hugo Weaving never shows his face, but still convinces and puts on a great show.
The message this movie sends is (and no doubt has been hundreds of times) to be debated as it glorifies chaos and the rebelling against the government even though the people do not know of the horrors their government has committed to gain power. But then again, do we know all about our government? Thankfully the movie dodges the problem of having a government overthrown only because of the revenge of one man and focuses on the essential: Act if you think there's something wrong.
Combine this idea with a dagger wielding masked man whose speeches could have made him a poet in a normal life and you got yourself one hell of a movie. Some movies want you to think, some are pure entertainment - V for Vendetta gives you just enough of both to have you sitting at the edge of your sofa in excitement while keeping you from sleep thinking about its message afterwards.
I would love to see a prequel and a sequel. How about F for Fake News (how a to grasp for power) and B for Building up Britain before Brexit cocks it up again?