Beneath This Mask There Is An Idea Mr Creedy, And Ideas Are Bulletproof

Rating: 7/10 (2 August 2009)

In England in the near future there is an oppressive police state. A young woman named Evey is rescued from a vicious attack by a mysterious masked man known only as V. V is a freedom fighter, hell-bent on overthrowing the government; as she begins to understand him, Evey find herself drawn more and more to his cause
This is one of the best comic-book adaptations of recent years, an excellent multi-layered film with a cracking plot, great characters, lots of action and a thought-provoking subtext. You can enjoy it on a simple level as the usual masked avenger story (it has many nods to The Count Of Monte Cristo), but also as an Orwellian nightmare of totalitarian fascism; it seems to me to make specific reference to the UK in the early eighties (strikes, tax riots, inner city turmoil). It's also a great character piece - Portman is the standard apolitical protagonist polemicised by what she sees, complete with a clever Stockholm Syndrome twist - but she makes the transformation seamless and deeply moving, notably when she reads the testimony of the murdered lesbian. Weaving as the suave assassin V himself is sensational; not only does the movie never cheat and reveal his face, it also permits us the scope to decide for ourselves whether he is a heroic freedom fighter or a crazed terrorist. Rea is also excellent as the world weary gumshoe, making a rather routine and dogmatic part into an intelligent, philosophical man. The support cast are all good too, and having Hurt play Big Brother is an amusing twist, since he played Winston Smith in 1984. The film is also shot through with an enjoyable sardonic humour, particularly in V's tongue-twisting alliterative quotations, or the amusing scene where Fry reduces the party-line's top media scare story into a pantomime farce. Scripted by the Wachowski Brothers (of The Matrix fame), based on a comic-book series by David Lloyd and an uncredited Alan Moore. Exceptionally well photographed throughout by Adrian Biddle, one of Britain's most talented cameramen (check out Aliens, The Princess Bride, Event Horizon, and just about anything else by him), who sadly died not long after production. This was his final movie, and it is respectfully dedicated to him. The political action adventure subgenre is a rare niche which often produces some gems (Escape From L.A., Fight Club) and this is no exception. First-rate entertainment.