V FOR VENDETTA (2006)

[rra]

V FOR VENDETTA (2006) - ***

Hugo Weaving might very well be one of the more underrated actors in Hollywood today. He's as damn good as a Johnny Depp or a Christian Bale, yet the man doesn't get any acclaim. Hell, he was the best thing in the chaos that are the MATRIX sequels.

The testament to his greatness is when he's given the clunky philosophical lecture cram sessions that is Wachowski dialogue and actually make them both fluid and poetic. That and conveying intelligence and emotionalism behind a static Guy Fawkes mask. Weaving gives us one of the more compelling performances yet seen in a Hollywood comic book adaptation.

If only V FOR VENDETTA was as good as Weaving.

I don't blame Alan Moore at all for his problems with the movie. In his excellent 1980s graphic novel, he created a protagonist that was a proud violent anarchist, forcing audiences to support such a blatant terrorist in his war against the totaltarian UK of the future.

Writers/producers the Wachowski brothers took Moore's literary hate of Thatcherism and turned it into a cinema hate letter at the American neo-cons. Its still set in Britain a few years from now, but their V on page is an undisputed freedom fighter that isn't as challenging nor as interesting. Thank God for Hugo.

But I have to give any adaptation a fair chance, so I threw the book away and I was surprised to find this to be initially a really good picture. Its the best work yet based off a Moore book, and there are fine performances in the film. From Stephen Fry to Stephen Rhea, to John Hurt as the dictator, and even Natalie Portman brings home the bacon. Where was this good acting of hers in the STAR WARS prequels?

While its damn heavy handed in its list of complaints against Bush America, I still think there is a relevancy to it all. The President of Iran, who recently claimed that there are no homosexuals in his country, would probably feel right at home in Hurt's England.

A shame democracy in place, the moral police state making sure the streets are clean of the undesireables and outsiders, and the media mere puppetry for the government. There can't be any gays around if they're executed or persecuted into seclusion, right?

Yeah, I was really liking V FOR VENDETTA, until the 3rd act. Its like the movie realized it was running out of time, and decided to resolve the plot using clips, montages, and other nonsense this side of David Lynch's DUNE. Then the several logical problems I had with the conclusion.

If this tyrantical police state had surveillance up the ass, wouldn't they notice the manufacturing, buying, and distribution of hundreds of thousands of masks and capes? I mean, people take snap shots of old trains out in West Virginia, and Homeland Security detain their asses. But this meaner and more ruthless limey gestapo doesn't note it?

Better yet, how about the hero demanding the people rise up and overthrow the cabal, yet he does all the dirty work. Those poor folks dress up like dorks at Comic-Con, and all they do is watch a fireworks show. More of a coup de tat than a true revolution, isn't it?

'I understand what the Wachowskis and their pawn director James McTeigue tried to do. The masses united under a banner, one wholly provided and instigated by V himself, but couldn't they have pulled this off without screwing the pooch? It turns a damn good movie into a decent one with some smarts mixed with sillyness.

Better yet, they disregarded what I considered to be my favorite part of the graphic novel's ending where the protagonist, much like the namesake of his face, becomes a symbol that will live on with poignancy for eons to come.

Its a more deserving finale for Weaving's stunning tour de force.

[Joe Neglia]

I can't take the film seriously for one, and only one reason:

The 1812 Overture.

If you're going to have huge consecutive explosions in your film, do not set it the same music that Caddyshack used when it had huge consecutive explosions going on. I half-expected to see the damned gopher run past the screen.

[rra]

admin said:

I can't take the film seriously for one, and only one reason:

The 1812 Overture.

If you're going to have huge consecutive explosions in your film, do not set it the same music that Caddyshack used when it had huge consecutive explosions going on. I half-expected to see the damned gopher run past the screen.

Damn, you know I never thought about that but YOU'RE RIGHT!

Damn, thats another silly thing about the movie then.

Where's Bill Murray when you need him?!!?

Where's what someone I know thought of the movie:

"One of the only films I fell asleep during. I did like that it had Rupert Graves and Stephean Rea, who both have played tranny lovers in other movies."

[Hulkshi Tanahashi]

I liked this movie, but the graphic novel is much better.

[rra]

hulk6785 said:

I liked this movie, but the graphic novel is much better.

Yes, it was.

["Hollywood" Cactus Matt]

I dig it. I don't really expand much past "like/didn't like," but yeah ... it was good as a rental. I don't know if I would have paid the $20-some I would have spent to see it in the theater at the time, though.

[Phosphor Glow]

I love this movie. Quite a bit. The graphic novel is better, yes, but the movie is still amazing. One of my favourites, honestly.

[Kevin Hamilton]

I like it alot, and Weaving was excellent in what he did since he didn't get to use facial expressions at all. Very good movie that suffers a bit from the whole 'the book is better' thing. Cuz the graphic really is. Still top notch.

I think Portman shows here she can act, and her Star Wars turn isn't really her fault. It's not like they gave her a lot to work with in the prequels.

[Jason Todd Grisham]

I totally agree with your assessment of Hugo Weaving. The only reason he's not a bigger star is because he doesn't look pretty. As for playing villains or anti-heroes he works brilliantly.

But this movie is a waste. First time I watched it I thought it was decent, then as I thought about it I realized how bad it really was. I'd give it a **1/2 on your scale. For one thing, when the television dude opens up his room of illegal stuff, why does he have landscape paintings in there?

Where was the totalitarian government when V hacked into their TV stations? How could they be totally helpless? How than Hugo Weaving beat so many of them up when he's the size of a twig?

How come Portman doesn't care that V essentially tortured her? And when someone is writing their biography on toilet paper do they spend their time writing a history of the time?

The character of V is ruined because the Wachowski's in a vain attempt at polemics turned him from a badass anti-hero to a wussy hero-hero. Weaving nearly pulled it off. When Moore wrote the graphic novel he realized first and foremost he was writing it for entertainment. Wachowski's seemed to forget that. It's annoyingly preachy and I consider myself libertarian.

["Sweet & Sour" ImSoFudginGreat]

I really love this movie, I brought it the day it came out on DVD, when I went to see it at the cinema I was the only one that "got it".

My friends are stupid.

[rra]

a2j88 said:

I totally agree with your assessment of Hugo Weaving. The only reason he's not a bigger star is because he doesn't look pretty. As for playing villains or anti-heroes he works brilliantly.

But this movie is a waste. First time I watched it I thought it was decent, then as I thought about it I realized how bad it really was. I'd give it a **1/2 on your scale. For one thing, when the television dude opens up his room of illegal stuff, why does he have landscape paintings in there?

Where was the totalitarian government when V hacked into their TV stations? How could they be totally helpless? How than Hugo Weaving beat so many of them up when he's the size of a twig?

How come Portman doesn't care that V essentially tortured her? And when someone is writing their biography on toilet paper do they spend their time writing a history of the time?

The character of V is ruined because the Wachowski's in a vain attempt at polemics turned him from a badass anti-hero to a wussy hero-hero. Weaving nearly pulled it off. When Moore wrote the graphic novel he realized first and foremost he was writing it for entertainment. Wachowski's seemed to forget that. It's annoyingly preachy and I consider myself libertarian.

Alan Moore is a genius who challenges his readers. I mean in his LXG books, he has the Invisible Man who is among the "heroes," who in his spare time is a rapist.

As for your questions...

(1) Those paintings were illegal, for some reason. Maybe painted by someone not considered "friendly" in the eyes of the government.

(2) In the book, I believe V had hacked himself through the Fate computer, having the state's eyes and ears, which the government doesn't realize until its too late.

(3) I think Portman cared, I mean remember how upset she was? Again, its a change from the book I'm not the biggest fan of, but I guess it works.

(4) As for the toilet paper, its an autobiography. Certainly if we write of our lives, the times we live in will play a part in some form or another in our own narratives.

Its like the baby boomers, Vietnam, the Moon, Hippies, Beatles, JFK's death, all were shared in one form or another by that generation.

Ours I guess would be what, Iraq, 9/11, and so forth.

Anyway, I do agree with you that V FOR VENDETTA is preachy, which didn't bother me as long as there was an artistic point to the anger, and I thought the movie works in a dystopian popcorn tale sort of way until the 3rd act hits the fan.

But yeah, I agree in part with your sentiments. I think alot of people really liked the movie because it speaks to them or speaks FOR them, I don't know. I don't understand why its on the IMDB Top 250, but hey what do I know?

[rra]

jackrabbitslim said:

I like it alot, and Weaving was excellent in what he did since he didn't get to use facial expressions at all. Very good movie that suffers a bit from the whole 'the book is better' thing. Cuz the graphic really is. Still top notch.

I think Portman shows here she can act, and her Star Wars turn isn't really her fault. It's not like they gave her a lot to work with in the prequels.

Would "they" wear plaid flannel shirts and resemble a panda bear?

Anyway, I agree with you...though I know a few actors who can take wooden dialogue or...clunky Wachowski-ian dialogue, and make it sound as smooth as wiping one's ass with silk.

[Jason Todd Grisham]

If I'm going to write my life story on TP I'm not going to say "It was 2000 and Bush became elected president despite controversy..." If I was some lesbian who got captured and all I had to write on was TP I'd write "I was captured by the totalitarian government led by John Hurt."

And if Portman cared couldn't she just... leave? If the guy's a creep why fight with him? That whole part makes no sense to me. The Third Act was terrible.

But I'm sure many people who enjoy the film don't enjoy it as much for how good of a movie it is by itself, but rather for its message.

[Kevin Hamilton]

rra said:

jackrabbitslim said:

I like it alot, and Weaving was excellent in what he did since he didn't get to use facial expressions at all. Very good movie that suffers a bit from the whole 'the book is better' thing. Cuz the graphic really is. Still top notch.

I think Portman shows here she can act, and her Star Wars turn isn't really her fault. It's not like they gave her a lot to work with in the prequels.

Would "they" wear plaid flannel shirts and resemble a panda bear?

Anyway, I agree with you...though I know a few actors who can take wooden dialogue or...clunky Wachowski-ian dialogue, and make it sound as smooth as wiping one's ass with silk.

Indeed, that would be the 'they' I was insulting, yes.

[Lick Ness Monster]

a2j88 said:

If I'm going to write my life story on TP I'm not going to say "It was 2000 and Bush became elected president despite controversy..." If I was some lesbian who got captured and all I had to write on was TP I'd write "I was captured by the totalitarian government led by John Hurt."

And if Portman cared couldn't she just... leave? If the guy's a creep why fight with him? That whole part makes no sense to me. The Third Act was terrible.

But I'm sure many people who enjoy the film don't enjoy it as much for how good of a movie it is by itself, but rather for how it makes them feel all warm and gushy inside.

Agree with all of your commentse - nicely put. Much as Hollywood...well, I'm looking at the rules thread. ;D

And I also fixed the last sentence in your quote for the way I'd put it. ;D

[rra]

a2j88 said:

If I'm going to write my life story on TP I'm not going to say "It was 2000 and Bush became elected president despite controversy..." If I was some lesbian who got captured and all I had to write on was TP I'd write "I was captured by the totalitarian government led by John Hurt."

And if Portman cared couldn't she just... leave? If the guy's a creep why fight with him? That whole part makes no sense to me. The Third Act was terrible.

But I'm sure many people who enjoy the film don't enjoy it as much for how good of a movie it is by itself, but rather for its message.

A very good point indeed. Considering the whole ending of the thousands of people in costume, I guess things like this didn't bother me as much, but yeah you are right.

[Kevin Hamilton]

Yeah I did definitely like the book ending where Evie herself 'became' V, and thought that was a lot more effective than the chorus line of Vs watching fireworks.

[Jason Todd Grisham]

jackrabbitslim said:

Yeah I did definitely like the book ending where Evie herself 'became' V, and thought that was a lot more effective than the chorus line of Vs watching fireworks.

That's how the Graphic Novel ended? I've never read it.

That is a much better ending.

[rra]

jackrabbitslim said:

Yeah I did definitely like the book ending where Evie herself 'became' V, and thought that was a lot more effective than the chorus line of Vs watching fireworks.

Even with the movie's take on Evie, the book's ending is alot more potent.

But alas, we get fireworks and a speech. Meh.

[rra]

a2j88 said:

jackrabbitslim said:

Yeah I did definitely like the book ending where Evie herself 'became' V, and thought that was a lot more effective than the chorus line of Vs watching fireworks.

That's how the Graphic Novel ended? I've never read it.

That is a much better ending.

READ the book mate. Its a great novel by Alan Moore.

A smart read, and without the preachyness that annoyed you with the movie.

Its win-win!