Jump to content

V for Vendetta


Designated_Driver

Recommended Posts

I found the most amazing quote in a review of V for Vendetta today. I'm going to see it this evening, and I'm hoping the quote won't be true. However, it was good enough that I thought I'd share.

""V for Vendetta" qualifies as "an uncompromising vision of the future" only if monotony qualifies as a lack of compromise."

The rest of the article is quoted below. I found it mildly amusing, in all its facetious glory.

by: Michael Phillips Chicago Tribune 03/24/2006

If the h-for-hype "V for Vendetta" connects with a wide American audience, then something truly has shifted in the homeland-insecurity pop landscape of the early 21st century. It means we're ready for a cultured, sophisticated, man-about-town terrorist who espouses the belief that "blowing up a building can change the world." Finally, a film to unite movie-mad members of al-Qaida with your neighbor's kid, the one with the crush on Natalie Portman.

Various film enthusiasts, particularly suckers for anything based on a graphic novel, are hot for this picture. They argue that the story line is pro-revolution rather than pro-terrorism, set in the near future, imagining England under the thumb of a regime than makes Mussolini look like Musso & Frank. Call me a neocon - that'd be a first - but this film is in fact about a glam-terrorist who believes in better government through the demolition of landmark buildings. It's only a movie. But would "V for Vendetta" stand a box office chance today if it were set in America, not England, and the U.S. Capitol were blowing up instead of Parliament? Unlikely. We all enjoyed seeing the White House get it in "Independence Day," but there's nothing political about space aliens.

A British-German production, "V for Vendetta" is brought to you by the Wachowski brothers, Andy and Larry, gurus of "The Matrix." The first-time director - it shows - is John McTeigue, who assisted on the "Matrix" trilogy as well as "Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones." As Orwellian visions go, this one doesn't have much black magic in its corner. Only here and there do you find the spark and kinetic zap delivered by the first "Matrix" picture.

Portman plays Evey, orphaned daughter of activists. She is rescued from shadowy government abductors one dark evening by a man in a cape and a Guy Fawkes mask. (For those who don't know Guy Fawkes from Guy Smiley, look up "Gunpowder Plot of 16 5.") The masked avenger is known only as V, and by his flaming logo, a V with a circle around it. Apparently he used to work in marketing for Warner.

V wants to take back England from its oppressors. Life is no fun in this near-future world: Nuclear disasters and "America's war" have lead to permanently whacked-out weather patterns and rampant, murderous xenophobia, no Muslims or homosexuals allowed. John Hurt plays the nail-spitting Chancellor, who is seen on huge video screens in a Hitler haircut, bellowing every line as if he were saying: "Fee-fi-fo-fum!"

The picture is based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, published in its entirety in 1989. What was originally an attack on the social policies of Margaret Thatcher's England now speaks directly to George Bush's America. One character adjusted from Moore's original story - Moore has already disowned the film version - is a Bill O'Reilly-inspired TV pundit with a sinister secret.

All the free-floating dread and dress-up games aren't bad for about an hour. The second half, like so many second halves of movies taken from graphic novels - everything from "Road to Perdition" to "Sin City" - grinds on, growing increasingly flabby and yakky. By the big finish, the queasy feeling in your stomach tells you that you haven't been convincingly swept into the film's call to arms.

In the masked role of V - all the time, he's got that infernal mask on - we have plummy-voiced Hugo Weaving, the unstoppable killing machine in shades from "The Matrix." Weaving replaced another actor early in the shoot. In interviews Weaving has addressed his primary acting challenge here: As he told one writer, V "has a fixed expression, yet he talks a lot." And how! In his elaborate underground Shadow Gallery, decorated with "White Heat" posters and other artifacts banned by the Ministry of Objectionable Materials, V whiles away the hours quoting Shakespeare while playing the Julie London version of "Cry Me a River" on his precious jukebox. Or else he's speaking in the most ungodly clauses ("This world - the world I'm a part of, that I helped shape ...") To his credit, however, he does not make Evey listen to "The Phantom of the Opera."

In order for Evey to become a good little freedom fighter she must undergo a concentration camp-like survival test. This section of "V for Vendetta" is a bit mad, yet Portman brings a fierce commitment to it. (It's easier to take than the interlude wherein she dons an ickily sexual schoolgirl costume for the delectation of a salacious vicar.) She grounds the heavy doings of the cautionary tale in an emotional reality, which is a way of saying she's a good actress.

Stephen Rea lends his hangdog, doleful authority to a generic role of an investigating officer trying to stop V before he makes good on his destructive promise. No suspense here, really: If he stopped him, there wouldn't be a "Matrix"-style showdown, this time with bullets and swords instead of bullets and aerial kung-fu. This scene, with its computer-generated sword-swooshes, no doubt will work with an audience, even though it's not half as cool as anything Neo got up to. "V for Vendetta" qualifies as "an uncompromising vision of the future" only if monotony qualifies as a lack of compromise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought it was a kick *** movie. I especially like the part where he's dual wielding daggers against 5 or 6 swat members armed with automatic assault rifles. :D I gave the movie two thumbs up and vowed I'd buy it when it came out on DVD... I just want to listen to the quote where he almost entirely uses words starting with the letter, 'V' :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just got in from catching "Inside Man" (I think that was what it was called). It was very good. It never made go "Why am I here?" or "What's going on?" It's a movie a third grader can follow, but that doesn't take anything away from how the movie comes across. It's funny, serious, mindblowing, and dry when it needs to be. Although a little easy to figure it out, I'd give it a 2 on my rating list, ratings go between 0 and 3.34.

a-g

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A move about a crazy, backwards goverment reigning dominance over its citizens?

A character who is against society and out to upset the establishment for the betterment of all?

Sounds like how I wish some of my chars came off.

I definitely want to see it.

Natalie Portman, you say?

*starts walking the 40 miles to the theater*

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought V for Vendetta was excellent, since he exemplifies my own political beliefs in a way. I think they did a fair job of converting it from the graphic novel, and if you already understand what the actual definition of anarchy is, it does not loose anything in translation. Plus its Natalie Portman.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ahh, i found V for vendetta alright.

I didn't like that it was a clear strike against the U.S. and that we are just a ****ed up country forcing everyone to do a certain thing ect. ect. It was just making us look far worse than we really are. Not to say we aren't partly those things, but they made it seems a billion times worse than it really is.

The action of the movie was GREAT! but it was 15-20 min of action and 2 hrs of talking. (which i was disappointed).

The acting was great! I loved the acting throughout the entire movie, probably the only reason i give it a single thumbs up.

Last, I am catholic and i am against same sex marriages (please don't flame me, just what i believe) and the fact that they were throwing them in there without just cause, really ticked me off. There could have been so many other things, but they choose that topic because it is most controversial. I found that tacky, and distasteful.

Now after that movie (i didn't feel i got my 5.50 worth for the movie) I skipped over to The Inside man.

I give this movie 3 thumbs up!

The plot, the ideas, the action, the twist, the strategy... All perfect. The only thing that bugged me was the ending, little blah.

But the movie was worth more than the 5.50 i payed for it! (so i bought a drink to donate more money :P)

If you are going to the movies i suggest this movie!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...

Last, I am catholic and i am against same sex marriages (please don't flame me, just what i believe) and the fact that they were throwing them in there without just cause, really ticked me off. There could have been so many other things, but they choose that topic because it is most controversial. I found that tacky, and distasteful.

Now after that movie (i didn't feel i got my 5.50 worth for the movie) I skipped over to The Inside man.

...

Isn't selecting which parts of your religion to follow and still considering yourself a good follower a great thing?

a-g

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...