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| Value for Money | 9.3/10  |
|---|---|
| Overall rating | 9.3/10 |
By Guest. on 17th Jul 2008
| Starring Actor/Actress | Natalie Portman |
|---|---|
| Where Did You See It? | DVD |
| Value for money | 8/10 |
| Overall value | 8/10 |
 Guest.'s recommendation | |
This 2006 film, V for Vendetta, from James McTeigue is adapted by the Wachowski brothers from the 80's comic series penned by Alan Moore and drawn by David Lloyd. Starring Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman and Stephen Rea, the cast is chock full of a bevy of Brit bad-guy all-stars. The story is set in an unhappy, totalitarian Britain of the near future. V (Weaving) enters as a masked super-survivor of the regime's biological weapons experimentation on political prisoners, intent on upsetting the established order with bombs and counter-propaganda. In saving Evey Hammond (Portman) from a Security Services attack, V adopts her as his immediate audience and proceeds to teach her how to face her own fears as he challenges the complacence of the public in accepting the mean-spirited nutters that rule them.
Seen almost always as a masked Guy Fawkes, Weaving's portrayal of the titular V is through the wonderful dialogue, delivered in a gentlemanly, tragi-calm voice which stands out against the hum of perennial yes-men amongst the supporting characters. Compared to Weaving's devilish diction, Portman struggles with her accent but does convey Evey's path from a delicate, conformist English rose into a rougher, fearless muse to V's revenge.
Rea's quiet detective and his earnest sidekick (Rupert Graves) plod gently towards the conclusion supported by Stephen Fry, Sinead Cusack and John Standing with Tim Piggott-Smith as creepy Creedy, the government's thumbscrew specialist. Gazing over all in shades-of-1984, comes the milk-toting, maniacal leader, Suttler (John Hurt). The occasional villain - like Allam's corpulent government mouthpiece, Prothero - appeared more comical than corrupt, but the depravity and cruelty that they represented came through later.
Fans of other Wachowski fare will see some parallels. Visually the film depicts a Britain under fascism as grey, controlled, fenced and lacking in any warmth - emotional or otherwise - a nod to the original story's Nazi inspirations. This numbness is punctuated by V's rhetoric, music, fireworks and the unfeasible, dance-like timing of the explosions in his demolition acts. Look for the shot of Dietrich's bloodied face when his avuncular, closeted character (warmly played by Fry) is roughly arrested after producing a Benny Hill inspired parody of the Dear Leader.
Its message may have moved on from that of the original comic series; the film is as much about revitalising values of tolerance and love, as it is about nudging awake an audience to the dangers of leaving their governance to fate. Implied criticism of real-world governments and/or policy (US or otherwise) can be seen, although the comparison of characters by some to US political and media figures passed me by as a Brit.
I found myself wishing for the next stream of monologue from Weaving's V. Portman's slightly stiff Evey was slow to win my sympathy but it dawned on me that her character represented the cowering, fearful public that V so wanted to reach. The story did capture me and, whilst the pace wavered slightly, kept me watching. After the curtain came down, the film's message came through enough to make me want to watch again a few days later. Entertaining, thoughtful and one for the collection.
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