Smart and Intelligent Movie

Rating: 9/10 (6 January 2007)

V for Vendetta is a smart, intelligent and entertaining movie disguised as an action film. The film is set sometime in the near-future and presents some interesting and subversive political ideas. "V" (Hugo Weaving) wears a mask and dresses like a musketeer and operates as a one man insurgency. He is brutal, eloquent and likable and seems to enjoy his vendetta with a fascist English government. Terrorism is portrayed as a justified reaction to repression.
As a result of a global war involving biological weapons, the UK has emerged as a totalitarian state led by Chancellor Sutler (John Hurt). With global anarchy and the United States fighting a civil war, the people of England decide they need a strong leader to keep order. Muslims, gays, immigrants and political activists are targeted and disappear. Tim Pigott Smith heads the secret police. V rescues Evey (Natalie Portman) from Sutler's thugs and she becomes his platonic companion. V lives in a secret underground bunker full of books and other treasures banned by the government. He announces on national TV that he plans to blow up parliament on November 5. Stephen Rea plays a police detective trying to catch him.
Weaving is excellent and charismatic as V. Portman is convincing as Evey. Portman has that mysterious "star" quality that keeps your attention whenever she is on screen. It's good fun.