Trailer:
“No, what you have is bullets and the hope that when you run out, I won’t still be standing.”
Alan Moore might have gotten the pass for disliking the adaption of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but when he brought down the hammer of disownment on V for Vendetta, it became a little more obvious that this man just didn’t like anything not written by him.
But really when it comes down to it V for Vendetta is one to either love or hate, especially when it was marketed as a heavy action film by the Wikowsky Brothers, in the likeness of the Matrix. What really gets some viewers though is the political context of the movie itself. Yet I have always been one under the belief that all films should be taken as works of fiction and if you put aside the need to analyze everything the makers were supposedly trying to say then you will find underneath it all, it’s just a story and a pretty kickass one at that.
V for Vendetta is a hard movie to write a synopsis for. The film itself (though not without some awesome action scenes) is actually closer to the mystery suspense genre than anything else. The movie opens with Evey (Natalie Portman) heading to meet a friend in a nazi-like society that occupies England’s future. That is when she meets V (Hugo Weaving). A masked man with an affinity for knives and explosives. The government calls him a terrorist but in reality he is more of an Edmund Dauntes character (the film even calls up those comparisons without much subtlety), he seeks revenge for his past and wishes to call attention to the fall of freedom.
Hugo Weaving gives a fantastic performance as the lead character. Wearing as mask means he has to rely more on his voice acting and body language. Yet despite the performance, his character differs considerably from his graphic novel counterpart. Sure his educated mannerisms and speech may be spot on, but in the comics he was far more of an anarchist out to destabilize the government. Here he still exhibits many anti-hero traits but they are outshone by the better qualities and heroism of attempting to rid England of a violent dictator.
This makes his character arc a little less dynamic and you hardily seen any change in his character. In fact he works far better as catalyst for Evey‘s change and a subject for the mystery at the films core where the police attempt to stop him from destroying the parliament building and tracking down his past. This only leads into deeper government cover-ups and dirty secrets.
Natalie Portman also does a great job. When I first saw this film the only other thing I had seen her in was Star Wars, so you can imagine my shock when I found out she could actually act. She actually has some very emotionally highs in this movie which are far more reminiscent of her acting in Black Swan than as Queen Amadala. Her character is interesting as well. She is the outsider thrust into these extreme circumstances and must learn how to conquer her fear. Though I doubt she could have imagined that V’s help program would be so rigorous.
The third main character is Eric Finch, a detective working for the government who chases V around while searching into his past. This is no Inspector Clousoue, this man is a smart, legitimate threat. Though stone faced, actor Stephen Ria still manages to make the character likable as he struggles to decide if catching V is the right thing to do.
The action itself is unfortunately minimal. The beginning and trailers were misleading with heavy action boldly displayed. This makes the shift into a drama kind of awkward considering the audience were buckling down for an action heavy movie. What is there is good, yet that won’t stop people from being a little disappointed at the quantity.
Also the film is supposed to take place over the course of one year but the time lapses in the movie are poorly done and it never really feels like that amount of time has passed, but the same could be said about many films (such as the entire Harry Potter franchise).
Yet at the end of the film V for Vendetta is most likely the best adaption of one of Alan Moore’s properties. It may be a little slower than some might have liked but it is skillfully written with top notch dialogue and a great mystery at its core. Thus V for Vendetta works as both a fascinating revenge flick and detective story, even if it fails in its quest as a social examination due to political heavy handedness.
FINAL RATING: 8/10- (80%)
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