V for Vendetta

What a wonderful little gem of a movie this was. I’m not a comic book fan (or reader for that matter), so I went into this viewing without expecting too much and was more than pleasantly surprised. I’ll actually go as far as to say that this was one of the best movies I’ve ever seen in this genre.

[SPOILER PARAGRAPH] The story centers around Eve, a young girl who’s saved one night by our hero, V, who readily falls in love with her and to whom she becomes more and more attracted. The problem is that V is on a quest to overturn the British government, now in the hands of a Nazi-like regime that obviously considers him a terrorist and a big threat to its own survival. As a result, the Chancellor’s will is bent on seeking and neutralizing V, with whatever means necessary and at any cost. The relationship between V and Eve will evolve and change over the course of the movie in unpredictable ways.

What makes the movie shine is its screenplay. It is so well written and intelligently developed that it flows flawlessly from the first frames to the end titles. The actors do a very good job, especially Hugo Weaving, who is such a good actor he can make his character’s emotions and feelings seep through a mask. You never see his face, but through his body language, well calculated head tilts and his charismatic voice, his performance turns out to be brilliant. He is V and he carries the whole movie with what seems like little or no effort.

Good are also Natalie Portman, Stephen Rea, a venomous John Hurt and Stephen Fry, in what amounts to little more than a cameo.

The direction is very good, as are the cinematography and the art direction, but one thing that gives added life to the film and stays with you long after the end titles roll is the score, by Dario Marianelli.

An excellent cinematic experience.

Grade: 9