James McTeigue's V FOR VENDETTA
Movie review by Dennis D. McDonald
I loved this film for several reasons:
Despite its graphic novel origins, it really does deal with some complex and profound issues.
Natalie Portman is excellent.
It’s unapologetically European (actually, British) in its orientation.
The “look” is very, very classy.
John Hurt acts as if he had been fed raw meat before his scenes and was told by the director, “it’s OK to foam at the mouth.”
I loved V’s “thinking man’s Bat Cave.”
It’s a complex film, not only because of deals with cosmic issues like freedom, terrorism, and tyranny, but also because it forces us to explore these issues on a very character driven basis. V (played by Hugo Weaving) justifies his behavior on political and moral grounds. Evey (played by Natalie Portman) is repulsed by V’s moral relativism, especially since she is a victim, yet even she realizes that, despite his moral failures, V is actually involved in a Good Fight.
Despite its origins as a “comic book,” this film refuses to provide easy answers to complex problems of freedom, tyranny, and terrorism, and that’s a major plus.
Review copyright (c) 2006 by Dennis D. McDonald