V: for Vilified- FILM HITS MARK
| Overall Grade: | B+ |
| Story: | B+ |
| Acting: | B+ |
| Direction: | B- |
| Visuals: | A |
This movie is a v-very intruiging. Parlaying as a violent thriller in the advertizing, this film is not nearly as dim-witted as it hopes people will think it is. Clearly aimed at the social activist mid-ager (and greater) who might have protested in 60's and 70's, as well as the up-and-coming revolutionary hopefuls in the current generation, this film uses a violent pretense to bring about a conversation about government, permissive fear and revolution. It teetered so much into politics that the crowd drawn by the TV ads and trailers will be confused by the talk and be left saying "lets get back to the fighting". But there is plenty of combat to keep them in the theatre.
The message- we can't trust our government; our permissive behaviour will lead to totalitarianism; the only way to overcome governments is with violence. The inference- the current administration in the US is a governement that will lead us (years later) to a hitler-esque state-controlled country. McTeigue, Silver and the Wachowski brothers don't even try to viel their thin mask of finger pointing away from the US (though they set the plot for the UK, to give a more "plausable" view for US viewers). As a concept, it is very well done. The story is sleek, direct and does fray into a billion small stories, save the origin of the protagonist, V, who serves as the Messianic characature for this film (in precisely the same vien as "Neo" did for "the Matrix"). Rantings of freedom, laced through Shakespeare and other classic literature try to assert a tone of truth, immutable honor and justice into the film. Additionally, each political hot-button is pressed, from gay-rights to government conspiracies, to war in Iraq, torture as a means to an end (even when used by "good guys"), to freedoms at home (Patriot Act pro/cons-- ok, its all cons). The films doesn't really leave anything out in that regard.
The result-- good filmaking... poor political mongering. I like that the film attacked the thoughts, and challenged assumptions. I even liked that it didn't agree with me on many points. I don't, for example, believe that violence is the only outlet for a people to confront and change their government, though the film leaves little other alternatives. The film was good at telling its political viewpoint, even though it wasn't mine.
As for the violence-- very good stuff.. from a filmmaking standpoint, some nice new effects we haven't seen before, especially in the last fight scene. Basically, a next generation of some toned-down Matrix moves, with knives.
There were some obvious things that will bug the intellegent watcher. The rat in the cell was just the worst cliche I have seen in recent memory. I just get tired of that old one being used over and over again. The editor here should have just done his/her job and dumped that. That alone would have taken a lot of "Hollywood" veneer off this film. The other problem was when the Wachowski brothers tried to validate the film by confirming the premise through dialog. Saying that "actors lie to tell a truth", as a medicinal help to make us all believe the film a little more. That was weak. Finally, I would have liked a little more subtlty in trying to attack the current administration in the US. Too many allusions, too few consideration to an intelligent audience.
But, aside from that this film was very vvery good. Striving to do justice to the importance of its political message, while including the necessary component of violence (for both the ticket sales and message impact), this film rates very well. Even if you don't like it, the film doesn't back away from meshing these two things.
Natalie Portman was very good in her role, ranging her on screen dialog with good emotion, even down to the shaking lip in surprise, fear and anger. Hugo Weaving (as masked V) did perfect, and the mask gives a power to any character, especailly when we aren't gratuitously shown his face at the end, like so many cheaper films. Some of the logic in the film is bent as liberally as Neo bent the world in Matrix, but you don't really get the feeling it is wrong here, because the world created by these filmmakers lets you into that and it feels right.
So? Should you see it? Ya! Go see it. You won't like parts of it. Maybe lots of it. But at least it is a venture at a conversation about government, even if you think its a pretty weak argument on the part of the writers.