V For Vendetta

When I first saw the trailers for V For Vendetta in the movie theaters, I thought it was a Superhero movie. I like my movies about Superheros, so I intended on catching this on the big screen. I missed this movie while it was in theaters and ended up watching it on Cable. This movie was nothing that I expected. That isn't an indictment of the movie, I just wasn't expecting this type of film. The movie sort of reminded me of the Big Brother of George Orwell's 1984 with a touch of the French Resistance. This movie takes place in a future where, like 1984 the Government controls far too much. Curfews and strict government control does not lead to Revolution. So how does one start a Revolution? That is the question that this movie will answer. The movie is an interesting tale of rebellion and empowerment against corrupt government, it's a love story of sorts, and it's a story about family. I have not read the book, so no comparisons will be made to that effect.

This movie had a pace that was herky jerky. There were some very slow scenes and there were decent action sequences. The plot was interesting and well developed and the dialogue was extremely rich. The dialogue in this film was the strongest quality I found. While watching this film, I mused that it would make a great stage play and could easily be adapted to that purpose. The characters in this movie started out shallow for the purpose of creating the vehicle through which the story would unfold. As the movie progresses it reveals a greater depth of character. In the end, I cared about these characters which is a testament to strong writing.

This movie showcases Natalie Portman, who I thought was mediocre in Mr. Magorium's Magic Emporium. However, this could have been due to the weak writing on that movie. She was exceptional in this one. We don't get to see much of Hugo Weaving, who hides behind a mask throughout the movie. That may be good, because without the mask I might have confused him for Mr. Smith of The Matrix, a role that he will forever be known for. The rest of the cast included John Hurt, Stephen Fry, Ben Miles, Roger Allam, John Standing, Eddie Marsan, Clive Ashborn, Sinead Cusack and Tim Piggot-Smith. The cast delivered exceptional performances, but the height of the drama were the exchanges between Portman and Weaving who delivered their performances flawlessly. The movie had a very theatrical feel, which may be over the top for some viewers, but I felt the peformances were natural even with the stage type feel that this movie conveyed.

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