v for...america?

to follow on from a book review - granted it has been a while since that post, st. paddy's day and all, you know how it is - i feel the need to jot a bit down about my latest movie venture. since i saw king kong about eighty seven years ago there hasn't been one movie worth watching in eons. such complete ming like firewall, 16 blocks and the movie that destroyed my good opinion of james franco (he will win an oscar one day though), annapolis..has dribbled onto our movie screens for months now, nothing but crap.

as a result, last night i headed into v for vendetta with little or no expectations. i left however, with the feeling that the wachowski brothers are members of an elite, very elite, group of writers and producers capable of putting together a movie that challenges their viewers into actual thought.

the fact that the movie is a parable of the present is too obvious to be anything other than intentional. some may argue the story as pure fantasy or perhaps a gentle "watch out, this might happen to you"...for me there are too many comparisons, if exaggerated, to the world we live in to be ignored.

hugo weaving plays v. a delightfully, inadequately explained character that remains behind a smiling mask depicting guy fakes for the entire film, conjuring up a character with body movement and voice. saving eve hammond (natalie portman) from rape at the hands of government henchmen sets us on a year long mission to topple a totalitarian state put in place in britain after the demise of a greedy america from a rampant virus. the british chancellor (john hurt) controls britain through a system of total fear and suppression - media propaganda, false stories, loyal underlings and of course the old favorite, murder.

strong visuals and tantalizingly familiar scenarios really get one wondering; the twisting of simple news stories is very thought provoking and through the shocking methods used by v to politicize eve it could be asked is the movie itself an effort to stir the hearts of a pathetically lethargic and ignorant youth in today's world...especially in america, a country fast becoming an islam-hating, gay-bashing epitome of vendetta's britain.

portman wavers a little with her english accent but her overall role is the heart of the movie, she has quickly established herself as one of the finest actors under 30 today. her time in exile at the hands of an unknown tormenter is especially important as are her gradual realization of v's motives and reasons for calculated death. the final scene, while of course pleasing to any true irishman, is a poignant symbol, not only in evey's world but in our own...the sex pistol's "anarchy in the uk" should have come blaring in to herald the credits...what would it be like to bring down a government of suppression and manipulation...true liberation and equality in anarchy.

though maybe one that will be more a cult movie for the outsiders in society i recommend this one for anyone who has a clue about current affairs in america today...its powerful, imaginative, exciting and engrossing...gets my vote. democracy?