A political thriller for all comers

Rating: 10/10 (31 March 2006)

What is remarkable about this movie is not that it had the courage to promulgate one political theory, it's that it had the courage to lay out so many simultaneously. Let's be honest here, folks, this movie is not anti-American in its core. It is an anti-fascist piece, and that is the most dominant political idea I found in this film. Even if you read the original graphic novel on which this is based, you will not find one anti-American reference there.
While I watched the film, you could almost tell when the brothers Wachowski sat around while writing the script and said to themselves "Gee, there hasn't been an anti-American sentiment or statement in a while here, huh? OK, OK, what to do, what to do...I've got it, let's include the phrase "The war that America started" and pan to a news report about avian flu and hurricanes. Yeah, yeah, that's good, that's good, that'll bring the liberal masses into the theaters." Sorry to break this to anyone, but this film makes the neo-conservative argument as much as it does the liberal one. That is why it is so brilliant. It does not present a single coherent political message, but rather weaves together disparate political and historical threads into a unique story which cannot be pegged by anyone. Anyone who is politically honest, that is.
My recommendation. Go see this movie with an open mind and no preconceived ideas. I'm sure you will find that the acting is simply superb (hats off to Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving for outstanding performances), the plot gripping and intricate, and the special effects simply jaw-dropping.
Makes me wait with great anticipation for what the Wachowskis will come up with next.