Directed by:
James McTeigueCinematography:
Adrian BiddleComposer:
Dario MarianelliCast:
Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Fry, Sinéad Cusack, Rupert Graves, Stephen Rea, John Hurt, Tim Pigott-Smith, Roger Allam, Ben Miles, Eamon Geoghegan (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
Set against the futuristic landscape of totalitarian Britain, V For Vendetta tells the story of a mild-mannered young woman named Evey (Natalie Portman) who is rescued from a life-and-death situation by a masked man (Hugo Weaving) known only as "V." Incomparably charismatic and ferociously skilled in the art of combat and deception, V ignites a revolution when he urges his fellow citizens to rise up against tyranny and oppression. As Evey uncovers the truth about V's mysterious background, she also discovers the truth about herself - and emerges as his unlikely ally in the culmination of his plan to bring freedom and justice back to a society fraught with cruelty and corruption. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Videos (1)
Reviews (11)
V For Vendetta stands or falls by the comic book original which I assume is far more complex and, let's say, smoother than the movie adaptation. However, the idea is brilliant, as are the acting performances - Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving are excellent, even though one of them has a mask on his face the whole time. Unfortunately, the poorly adapted screenplay and the unbalanced directing took something away from it. I don't know how much the movie would have changed if the Wachowski brothers had put everything they could into this project and didn't settle for mere, albeit extensive, cooperation. Could they have portrayed the environment of a dictatorship better? Could they have given more energy to the first half of the movie? Couldn’t they have maintained the standard of filming Vendetta deserves throughout? Let me put it this way, I will remember Mr. V well, and November 5th will never again go unnoticed on my calendar, but you will not hear me applauding the screenplay.
()
Narratively powerful, provocative, with plenty of questions and ambiguous answers, it is evident again that the screenwriters (the Wachowskis) have abundant talent and creativity, and that the action the sci-fi cult-classic The Matrix was not a fluke. V for Vendetta is also a genre-defying film, and it works excellently. The action is solid and captivating (the sequence in BTN, when the masked hero takes down three or four guards in hand-to-hand combat, is incredibly well-shot), although not every scene is perfect, the final bullet time is annoying. However, it is not so much about the visual aspect, but rather the content that they take even further. Inserts like “the life of a lesbian woman” are incredibly emotional and have power on their own. The criticism of the regime is just a subtle between-the-lines critique of our times, and whether blowing up buildings is the right solution is ultimately somewhat irrelevant.
()
This commercial variation of Brazil is rather pleasantly surprising in the end. And although this is a very simplified insight, it isn’t at all dumb. Almost no action, very TV standard in visual terms, the actors have thankless roles (especially poor John Hurt, but who else could have given such a great performance?). And it is even more surprising in that it works rather well overall. The greatest positives are the main vocal performance by Hugo Weaving, the soundtrack and the pretty daring act of grafting of the story onto the contemporary political situation with thoughts that are currently not in fashion. At least in commercial America. What brings this picture down is that it doesn’t manage to create a convincing atmosphere of a nation under a dictatorship which would make the term “big brother" a reality. In the end, V stays in the realm of an entertaining Hollywood spectacle.
()
I was quite surprised by how grounded the film is, especially considering it’s a comic book adaptation. When the action happens, it’s pleasantly modest—no grandiose explosions or anything like that. The story maintains a slower pace, with no rush; even with minimal attention, it’s easy to grasp what’s going on. The Wachowskis’ screenplay is almost perfect, with sharp, entertaining dialogues. Natalie Portman definitely doesn’t play a secondary role; in emotionally intense moments, she fully demonstrated why she is one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood. The story’s realistic portrayal of a totalitarian regime was reminiscent in many ways of Orwell’s "1984." On top of that, there are some quality suspenseful moments. The action sequence in the subway at the end left me with my mouth agape (the Matrix style was noticeable), and the ending was, in a word, satisfying. For me, it’s 8.5/10 (I didn’t expect that).
()
The comic book of the same name, written by Alan Moore, is considered one of the most famous comic works on the edge between classical superhero and alternative comics. At one point, I couldn't resist and bought it, only to be thoroughly disappointed afterward, although it is a successful work from an artistic point of view and several characters or motifs are also interesting. However, the comic "V for Vendetta" fails in two very important aspects for me, which are primarily the unbelievable portrayal of the authoritarian state, its origin, support, the whole system, and finally its downfall. It is evident in the story that this dystopia was written by a person from a nation that has not experienced true tyranny since the first half of the 17th century. That world is simply lifeless and unbelievable. The second negative aspect lies in the romantic hero who wears a theater costume and a mask in the middle of a city filled with informers and cameras, making him look like an undercover police officer trying to infiltrate a criminal gang. The film version, at least when it comes to the first problem, is much better because a film requires significant costs, and therefore it is necessary to make things easier for the viewer from a commercial perspective, and the script is therefore more explanatory and logical than its literary source. However, the second problem remains, namely the mysterious hero capable of defeating the dictatorship on his own. The comic source allows for the film to be perceived as an action-packed spectacle, but fortunately, the creators took a different path - after all, those two action scenes, especially the final one where the avenger has the 15-member police team fill him with bullets before slashing them with knives, sounds very stupid, like from the dumbest action movies. The film's weaknesses are the weaknesses of its comic source. Natalie Portman in the main role is only average in terms of acting, but naturally still beautiful and with a decent dose of personal charm. And no one can even recognize Hugo Weaving under the mask. Overall impression: 55%. By the way, the comic and the film do differ in many respects despite the basic plotline. The character of Chief Inspector Finch is crucial in both the comic and the film, but in the comic, he is more multi-layered and ultimately more tragic. He is a person who understands that he served a terrible system and did bad things, but cannot overcome his own shadow.
()
Ads