An flawed, imperfect yet highly compelling movie.

Rating: 7/10 (6 February 2008)

Anyone who has been a fan of 'The Matrix' trilogy will have greeted this film with immense anticipation following said trilogy's conclusion - the Wachowski Bros are renowned for weaving philosophical complexity and nuance perfectly amongst trailblazing, groundbreaking action sequences, and as such 'V For Vendetta' had much to live up to upon release. Expectations were as high as misgivings were plentiful, especially when one considers that Alan Moore, as with every other adaptation of his work, instantly distanced himself from, and denounced, the film.
However, while several of the misgivings Mr. Moore and other strident 'V...' comic book fans (yours truly included) have for the film are largely justified, there is no way that this film can be outright decried - far from it in fact. What we have here is a film that is as enormously engaging as its source material, all the while fluidly adopting an entire life of its own.
The film tells the story of V (Hugo Weaving), no longer the romantic, ruthless anarchist of the graphic novel but a romantic, everyman freedom fighter battling the fascist British regime Norsefire, led by Chancellor Adam Sutler (John Hurt) and responsible for the suppression of the public through methods of invasive, pervasive surveillance and the ever-present threat of persecution should they step out of line. In the year covered by the narrative, V takes on the dual goal of exacting revenge upon those who tortured him, disfigured and ultimately created him under government approved experimentations and to bring down the suppressive regime persecuting and suppressing the people of Britain. Along the way, V takes on a protégé of sorts, in the form of young Londoner Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman), shaping her and ultimately allowing her to see with her own eyes the beauty in the idealism that V himself represents.
Make no mistake, this is a million miles from the average, run-of-the-mill comic book cash-in, with all intelligent points requiring cognitive thought removed. While 'V...' differs enormously from its source material it remains an enormously compelling work, tapping effectively into modern fears of encroaching totalitarianism with a surprisingly convincing portrayal of Norsefire as an all-pervasive and still exceptionally sinister establishment. The screenplay, will pock-marked with flaws that many fans (particularly British ones) will spot a mile off, none of these are directly consequential to the engaging narrative laid down by the Wachowski Bros.
Hugo Weaving's performance is truly extraordinary, given that throughout the entire film we do not once witness his face due to the classic piece of character I.D, the Guy Fawkes mask of the graphic novel. Weaving utilises body language and, crucially, his fantastically articulated voice to convey V's romantic character  his introductory 'V' speech to Evey is a superb piece of enunciation. John Hurt's Sutler is perhaps somewhat underdeveloped, granted a less than satisfactory screen time, but he makes every second his own, oozing menace and threat with every syllable. Portman, on the other hand, is the clear weak link, delivering a dull, trite performance that renders Hammond entirely secondary to V's romantic rampage. The fact that she is the central protagonist is the hardest thing to swallow from the whole movie. However, Weaving and Hurt (not to mention Stephen Rea's deadpan Inspector Finch) more than make up for damage done by Portman, and ultimately it is the bizarrely inspiring acts of mayhem and destruction that V executes (accompanied by a fantastic rendition of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture) that stick in the memory.
Ultimately, this film is guaranteed to disappoint the hardcore comic book fan but, for those who can forgive the Wachowski's for the stark, glaring differences between their work and their source material, 'V For Vendetta' is one of the more potent examples of a political action film  rich in plotting and texture in it's own right and featuring some genuinely memorable performances all round. Certainly, the spat between the Bros. and Alan Moore should not put off the average movie goer; 'V For Vendetta' ticks enough boxes to be worthy of many a viewing.