Truly masterful film.

Rating: 9/10 (26 May 2006)

I saw The Matrix very young (or younger than I am now) and didn't get it AT ALL. So I hated it. Then I had the strange urge to watch it again. And I did so, and with that second viewing I finally got it. And I continued to watch it until it became one of my favorite movies in the whole of cinema. So what, oh what, will the Wachowski's follow up The Matrix?...
Writing:10/10
Why, with V For Vendetta! I hadn't read the comic, so as soon as I heard of Vendetta I rushed out to my local bookstore where it was freshly reprinted in order for the release of the movie. And it completely changed my views on comics! I have always given comics a bad rep for being unable to tell a full-filling story. I always found them fragmented, and sadly hard to find emotion in. The mighty Alan Moore(writer of the equally fantastic Watchmen comic) wrote a VERY full-filling story. And the Wachowski's added on to that story, and turned it into a film. The comic still had some rough edges that simply come with the medium, and the genius duo filed them down.
Direction:10/10
I was timid about James McTiegue taking the reins and not Larry and Andy, but he proved me wrong, with a vengeance. He adds luscious camera work, visuals, and matches all the greatness set down before him by the script.
Acting:10/10
There are some roles actors are simply born to play. A role nobody else should ever handle. V is that role. Hugo Weaving is simply a revelation as the title character, and his performance is really rather hard to describe. Natalie Portman does a great job (I rather fancy her), and her character is beautifully tortured with these moral decisions. Stephen Rea is also amazing. I was confused as to who thought Stephen Rea was good for the role, as the character in the comic and the actor simply didn't match. But he came right out of left field with the strongest supporting performance I have probably seen in a comic book film.
Score: 10/10
The film does not have quite as much music as I thought it would, remaining suspiciously quiet throughout. But when it begins, it never lets up. The score starts and it...is...POWERFUL.
Visuals:10/10
Very few VFX shots are in this film, but when they are there they are fantastic and not one shot I found poorly done. I especially enjoy the "knife-time" fight at the end.
The film is stunning, and the V character makes the movie worth it over and over again. But wait...V isn't a character or a man. He was an idea. And ideas are bullet-proof.