V for Vendetta

After the bad taste left in our mouths a few weeks ago by Date Movie, the wife and I really needed to see something to restore our faith in the movies again. Thankfully, V for Vendetta did just that.

If you are a person that is at all concerned about how our government has been acting lately, then you should see this movie.

The plot is about 20-30 years in the future in England. The U.S. is in Civil War, and England is being ruled by a high chancellor that has imposed curfews (for your protection) mass surveillance (illegal wiretapping anyone?) and banned homosexuals as well as alternative religions (for example, it’s a crime to simply own a Koran.)

A vigilante (or terrorist if you ask the government) named V is causing headaches for the government, and as unrest and dissent rise, the government cracks down more and more.

Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith in the Matrix) plays V, and Natalie Portman plays a girl named Evie. They were both excellent in their respective roles, especially Hugo who had to portray his character while always wearing a Guy Fawlkes mask. It’s no easy task to convey emotions when people cannot see your face, and Mr. Weaving was excellent in that regard.

Also, Natalie Portman is the real deal as an actress. Forget about the Star Wars movies where she was the victim of stilted dialog. She has chops and has been believable in every movie I’ve seen her in, from Garden State, to Closer, to V for Vendetta.

Now I KNOW that V for Vendetta has been out as a graphic novel for about 15 years or more, so it’s not like this was written as a response to the Iraq war or pointed in those directions. But, the scary thing is, the state of their government was so believable. If you don’t come away from this movie thinking about your own country, then you are simply one of the mindless sheep…

Now beyond the political feelings it brought out in me, the movie is excellent in it’s own right. Some of the action and pyro is very cool, and the storyline flows very nicely. This is one of the better movies I’ve seen in a long time. You should check it out.