it was alright

Rating: 4/10 (19 March 2006)

I have read this graphic novel and the movie pretty much kept to the book. The story and its message are above and beyond amazing and powerful however i felt this movie just wasn't shot well. It was a great story no doubt, but there was way too much talking and not enough motion to guide the story through. The music was beyond irritating and sometimes i couldn't even hear V speaking because the music was drowning his voice out. This graphic novel does indeed have a lot of text passages but i feel in a movie, there has to be more action than dialogue. Its more of a practicality issue than anything else, because ppl get bored seeing ppl talk instead of doing something. I also did not find the state of England to be this dark, depressing state. The director made it all bright and colorful, and generally people seemed happy, yet everyone is all talking about how there is no freedom. Natalie Portman did a really good job acting in the prison scenes, however i felt in the beginning of the movie that she wasn't scared/timid enough. I liked this movie, but i really really wish it was made better. It really could have been a mind-blowing movie. I also wish that this movie had darker visuals/atmosphere and a sort of Orwellian atmosphere. (For a good example of totalitarian atmosphere look at the movie Brazil). I wish the music wasn't playing every second of the film and I wish they added some action or something that guided us through the talking scenes. Listening to those characters speak can sometimes be very tiring. I wish NP acted more timid in the beginning as well. But that's about it. I give this movie a solid B. (great acting though, loved the ending, prison sequence and the LarkHill sequence as well)