V for Vendetta

As we all do when we visit sunny Florida, I went to a movie. My Dad grandpa and I went to see V for Vendetta (couldn’t drag Grandma to it.) V for Vendetta, based on the graphic novel, is about a futuristic England. There is a totalitarian government that controls the people and the media that tells the people what to think. V (played by Hugo Weaving) is the one who opposes the government and their actions. Evey (played by Natalie Portman) gets rescued by V one night and he takes her back to his home. (an underground lair.) She becomes as wanted as V and gets caught up in his crusade. When captured she refuses to give up the location of V and pays for it with her hair. Even though she was tortured and starved she still refuses. I can’t really tell much more of the plot without giving away some key things, so I end there.

I liked the movie a lot. I thought it was very well done. The dark look of a the city reflects the oppressive government (and a little noir-ish. In noir the city/street is presented as dark and people are rarely seen.) The best acting is done by Weaving, who’s face you never see. The acting is done behind a Guy Fawkes mask (he attempted to blow up the Parliament in the 17^th century.) The very poetical “V” (I had no idea how many words began with v) is always quoting Shakespeare, or waxing poetic about the atrocities of the government. Of all the actors in the film Weaving had the hardest job, to show emotion from behind a mask is an incredible feat. The actor who played V before left, for reason unknown to me and I think Weaving did a better job then anyone could have. While I like Natalie Portman overall, she did a good job, but I was unimpressed with the performance in this film. I think it was the accent; the British accent is really not the best I have ever heard. One thing that surprised me was that the action was less then I had expected. The focus was more on the story line then the violence and blood. So overall, I liked the film and recommend it to anyone old enough to see it (it is rated R), it is the type of film that can spark conversation on the nature of terrorism.

8 out of 10