Great acting

Rating: 9/10 (24 March 2006)

Well, this movie was far better then I thought it would be. Having not liked the Matrix trilogy I went into this movie thinking that I would at best find it a good action flick. I was very surprised by the film. It helped that the Wachowski's did not direct it, as they aren't very good with actors. Hugo Weaving gives a brilliant nuanced performance behind a non-moving plastic mask. Limited to only his voice, and body movements to express the thoughts and feelings of his character, he allows us to see the tortured soul that is the protagonist of the story. We feel his pain, his love, and his sadness, all without seeing his face. This truly is an Oscar worthy performance, although I doubt he'll even be nominated given the type of movie this is, and when it has been released. Natalie Portman is equally strong. I always knew she was a good actress, despite the Star Wars trilogy where her performance varied mostly because of horrible directing and an uneven script. But given a good script and a meaty role she shines, and this movie is not exception. The vulnerability of her character, and her struggle to overcome her fear, and be truly free, is portrayed with remarkable skill. The rest of the cast is solid, with Stephen Rea giving a particularly good performance. The only problem is there is no depth to the villainous Chancellor, or for that matter in any of the bad guys. While we get a deep understanding of the protagonists, we only get a superficial rendering of the villains. The cinematography, is gorgeous, with some great stunt and special effects work. The movie moves along at a good clip, and I was surprised at how long it was, it did not seem like I had been in the theater for two and a half hours. This must be attributed to the directing, and editing, which keep the movie humming along, with no real slow moments. Yes, there is the requisite comic book violence, and you must suspend disbelief fairly often, but the movie is truly worth the time and lots of fun. As noted, I was surprised at just how good a film this is, and it is the actors along with very good directing that makes this film so good.