Interesting and provocative

Rating: 7/10 (15 June 2008)

There is no doubt that "V for Vendetta" will arouse many questions after viewing, and that's okay, it's a film that deserves to be discussed. It tackles some difficult subjects head on, including, totalitarian regimes, censorship, revolution, terrorism, many of which are especially touchy in today's climate.
Britain has suffered a lot of chaotic tragedies of late, and the government is now headed by Adam Sutler (the wonderfully psychotic John Hurt). This is a totalitarian regime at its most nightmarish (think "1984"). Now a man who wears a Guy Fawkes mask and a wig (Hugo Weaving) is bringing chaos and terror to Sutler's regime and stirring the seeds of revolution. Helping him, unbeknownst to her at first, is a young woman named Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman).
The acting is terrific. Natalie Portman is solid as Evey, showing vulnerability and determination. Her weakest scenes are the ones where she has to yell and scream a lot, but those are few. Also, she holds a consistent British accent all the way through. Stephen Rea underplays his role, perhaps a little too much. John Hurt has a lot of fun foaming at the mouth all the time, and his presence, mostly from a video screen, commands our attention.
Portman may get top billing for the movie (which is not just because she's the biggest name-she really is the protagonist), but the best performance comes from Hugo Weaving. At times V is a menacing, deadly foe, but at other times, particularly around Evey, he is a sympathetic, human creature. It's a brilliant performance, and Weaving could have used an Oscar nod for it (though he did not get it).
James McTeigue was the protégé of The Wachowski Brothers, who created "The Matrix" movies. McTeigue knows what he is doing, and creates his own visual style that emphasizes light and shadow, among other things. It may not be "Sin City," but McTeigue's vision suits the material well.
It's nice to find a movie that is not afraid to ask questions, especially difficult ones. It's great to find one that doesn't dumb it all down. "V for Vendetta" will get people talking. Many will disagree with what it has to say. Either way, it's still a great film to see in it's own right.