V for Victorious

Rating: 10/10 (4 April 2006)

V for Victorious
The movie I watched yesterday with Ms. Pinky (G4 1030 PM), the title of which is quite obvious, deserves, well, a better title. Not that I find the current title stupid, but it is just that given how fantastic and wonderful and exciting (is it already over the top?) the movie was executed, it is rather a problem for people like me to think of the movie without having flashes of that cheesy crime novel M is for Murder (or H is for Homicide, R is for Revenge).
Anyway, if you haven't seen the movie, STOP RIGHT HERE!
In the words of Dante, abandon all hope ye who enter here (or something like that), because ladies and gentlemen, I am gonna tell everything I like love about this movie.
First, the action sequences, that are the fight scenes, are great. No matrix-like bending-over (though I think the knife-trails, like computer mouse-trails, are a bit too cartooney, but hey, it works) which really shuts down my entire nervous system each time I get to see one.
Second, the acting  the actors  are well chosen and excellent. Yes, it may be funny to look at that irritating mask for the first 15 minutes, but soon enough, you'll get over it, as soon as you get to know the character behind the action figure. The chancellor, which is the head of state, is just so scary and irritating as a leader. Let's say, if he was your friend and he sent you, like, an e-mail, it would look a lot like this: HOW ARE YOU!!!??? IT'S BEEN QUITE SOME TIME, HUH!!!!!! DO YOU WANT TO MEET UP SOMETIME!!!!!! CATCH UP!!!!!???? Then, there's also the other guy who speaks like this: sureletusmeetwhenareyoufreeiknowiknowtherearealotofthingstosay
Third, the message. The script is so relevant to our situation nowadays. No wonder this movie almost got banned, which really made me wonder why GMA and the CBCP haven't made any statements about the effects of this movie. Or perhaps, they were unaware? Well, they will be in about 24 hours because this movie, honestly, is disturbing. The hero is a terrorist. The heroine helps the terrorist. The head of state is bad. The other leaders are greedy and selfish and are treacherous. It teaches about theatrics in terrorism and how to effectively convey a message to an apathetic nation such as ours. The fight against discrimination over race or sexuality. The sexual controversy that grabs the Church by the balls. The atrocity of media control and distortion. There's also the mention of a crumbled America and similarities to Bush's anti-terrorism something. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the local rebels, say the Magdalo group, emerge in a few months from now on at ABS-CBN's gates wearing Andres Bonifacio paper mache masks over their faces.
Fourth, no sappy love stories. Yes, V (not the Mayor) fell in love with Natalie Portman's character, Evey, but it's just a love story. Not a sappy one. Why? First of all, he died! Hahaha! No happy endings in terms of romance, and sex, or whatever that could pass for a relationship between the two main characters of the movie. Best of all, V died, which also means.
Finally, no sequel! A prequel maybe, but at least no chances of sequel. This means the Wachowski Brothers and all their accomplices cannot and could never screw this movie at all in their lifetime the way they messed up Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus. That is, of course, if they don't resolve to genetics, or cloning, or spiritual apparitions.
There are a lot of other nice things about this movie (e.g. sounds, editing, narration), but I'm only sticking to 5 main points. I hope you realize why I'm sticking to fiVe. Strength through Unity, Unity through Faith: screams the posters. Heck, I'm 100% into it if ever I have to watch this movie all over again.