Remember, Remember...

Rating: 7/10 (19 March 2006)

"Remember remember the fifth of November The Gunpowder, Treason and plot. I see no reason why The Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot..."
All I have to say is WOW! What a great great movie. This truly is an important movie. A shadowy freedom fighter known only as "V" uses terrorist tactics to fight against his totalitarian society. Upon rescuing a girl from the secret police, he also finds his best chance at having an ally. That's all I'm going to go into for plot details.
I've never read any of the graphic novels this is based on, so this is a review after a virgin viewing. I love this movie, plain and simple. Hugo Weaving is V and he plays the part amazingly well. Even though V's face is never shown, it doesn't need to be. Weaving uses mannerisms and has such a great voice, that sometimes you forget that it's even a mask. Natalie Portman is wonderful as well as Evey. Both of them have such a great chemistry together and it's always great when they're on screen. The rest of the cast is wonderful as well (John Hurt is amazing as well even though he's not in it all that much).
This is not an action movie like the trailers portray it to be (nor is it directed by the Wachowski Brothers as some are lead to believe). It doesn't need to be though. The story, characters and events are so good, that the few action moments in the film (which are spectacular by the way) are so good, you don't need action. It's such an interesting plot too, which I won't get into because you should see it yourself. The action scenes in this are great though, especially at the very end, I got goose bumps. The end sure goes out with a bang too, it's a great great ending to a great great movie.
I seriously recommend this movie. It's a very smart movie that puts story over action and characters over flashiness. This truly is an important movie that makes you think, it wants you to think and it does so wonderfully. I recommend this movie completely. It's a great first movie by James McTeigue, it's controlled very well and is a tight movie.
"Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. There is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof."