0
0
There is a lot of flash and spectacle to enjoy within the movie V for Vendetta, but for me the movie just fell flat. I believe it was the long monologues by several characters that made the film—which started out as an action thriller with equal parts propaganda film mixed in—end up feeling like a solicitous revolutionary fable.
The message seems to be that we can really help people and change the world—if only we would blow some stuff up. I guess I don’t get it.
What I do get are the incredible performances by several top-notch actors. Natalie Portman is fantastic as Evey, a girl who gets rescued by a shadowy freedom fighter known only as “V” (played by a riveting Hugo Weaving), who uses terrorist tactics to fight against the current brutal England regime. These actors do so well in the film that I suggest going to see it just for their performances.
Natalie is extremely beautiful in the film even when sporting a shaved head, and she manages complex emotions for a character that seems like she is just along for the ride for most of the film. She gets carried away (literally) with “V” and his Vendetta and manages several tough scenes as she is transformed before our eyes from a frightened young girl to a tough young freedom fighter.
The heart of the film is between these two characters and it tends to draw you in to their plight, if it weren’t for some heavy-handed dialogue in between. Hugo Weaving is as always, flawless. He manages to come into a part originally cast with James Purefoy (who dropped out several weeks into shooting) and make the role his own. He acts behind a ceramic mask the entire movie and still manages deeply felt inflection and expresses his character’s emotion perfectly. His voice is pure magic, and he knows that this is his major tool for the character and uses it to his maximum ability. Not an easy task.
A supporting cast of some of Britain’s finest actors—Stephen Fry, Stephen Rea and John Hurt—round out the film nicely. The two Stephens are as sublimely subdued, as John is over the top, and they all seem to hit their marks with finesse and grace. There is an interesting story in the film; and the director, James McTeigue, does a good job overall on his first outing behind the camera. The action scenes seem too far in-between, but are done well. Overall, my only complaint would be in the dialogue, which at times can seem quite preachy. Go see this film if you are interested in the actors and want to see an interesting story told.
