V for Vendetta (March 13/06)

Though it was written almost two decades ago, Alan Moore's graphic novel V for Vendetta is clearly just as relevant today as it was upon its original publication (if not more so). With its themes of freedom, oppression, and individual rights versus public order, the story (and likewise the film) comes off as an astonishingly pertinent and thoroughly engaging piece of work.

Set in the year 2020, V for Vendetta transpires in a world where the United States has become a shadow of its former self and London is under the grip of a tyrannical madman named Adam Sutler (John Hurt). A mysterious, masked figure known only as V (Hugo Weaving) has been hitting back at the government by blowing things up and encouraging his fellow citizens to rise up and fight. V finds an unlikely ally in Evey (Natalie Portman), a young woman he saves from certain doom at the hands of three corrupt policemen.

Featuring a script adapted by the notoriously reclusive Wachowski brothers, V for Vendetta doesn't quite play out like the keyed-up action flick that the marketing campaign's been promising - which certainly isn't a bad thing, though it's clear less patient viewers will have a tough time sitting through the copious dialogue. It's just as obvious, however, that the Wachowski's aren't interested in delivering just another mindless piece of escapism; as was the case with The Matrix, the brothers use the genre to explore some decidedly heavy themes. The end result is a movie that does provide the expected visceral thrills, but also manages to engage the viewer on an intellectual level.

Adding to that vibe are the unusually complex performances, with Portman and Weaving particularly effective in their respective roles. Portman does a nice job of portraying Evey's tumultuous arc, which undeniably resembles the transformation that Keanu Reeves' Neo underwent in the original Matrix (complete with shaved heads, no less). Likewise, filmmaker James McTeigue sets the mood early on by employing stylish yet appropriate directorial choices (that he's been inspired by the Wachowski brothers' sense of style is obvious). The inclusion of several unexpectedly and genuinely moving sequences certainly doesn't hurt, something that's especially true of a flashback revolving around the plight of a doomed homosexual woman.

There's little in V for Vendetta that doesn't work; aside from a slight case of overlength and a few questionable choices here and there, the film is essentially as good as it gets in terms of big-budget extravaganzas.

out of