Remember, remember...

Rating: 4/10 (27 March 2006)

... The 5th of November. I am not sure how to start this review, but at least this phrase (Remember,remember...) kick-starts the movie perfectly. Movie starts with images of execution of a man Guy Fawkes, an English soldier, one of the men behind the Gunpowder plot in 1605, when there had been plans to blast Westminster palace Fawkes was executed (we have an opportunity to see this, but we have an opportunity to question necessity of this as well), four hundred years have passed, but the message is clear - man was an idea, and this idea survives - the fight for freedom is higher then personal "I". Movie is set sometime in the mid of the 21st century, in a Britain ruled by dictator who looks like Hitler (John Hurt) and his loyal fellowship of followers, who can converse with him via video-conferencing only (I think this perfectly shows the insecurity of a country, where security is implemented by curfews and arrests). The 5th of November reference is given a clear role. There is a man with code name V (Hugo Weaving), a fighter for freedom and, and who promises to blow houses of Parlament no other day, but on November 5th. Based on the graphic novel, movie posits great idea but apart from this there is not much more to say. We do get obligatory recourses to the past to justify everything happening now. We do get few buildings blown apart. Some dialogs worth condemnation and even some poetry (Remember, remember...). We have love interest for V (Natalie Portman as Evey) who will have her part to play. We do have everything, what we have seen hundreds times of before. And yes, we know that the movie is about government control, fighting for ideals, idea standing above individual needs, but one could be left pondering, whether idea alone can make movie good. When all is said and done, there is nothing to remember about it. Maybe only the rhyme which so perfectly kick-starts the movie. 5/10 or C+, I suppose.