Monday : 13 March 2006
Work. Blah blah blah.

After work, I went to a sneak preview of V for Vendetta with . Wow. It was a good film and one that I wouldn’t mind seeing again. The concepts of power, control, fear, freewill and revolution were strong elements in the story. I also noticed many cultural, media and news references in the film… which is interesting considering that it was written about twenty years ago. Nox has the graphic novel, I definitely want to read it.

What does it take to change a person?
What does it take to change the way a nation thinks and perceives itself?
What does it take to breathe life into an ideal?
Can one man make a difference?

This movie addresses those questions, along with many others. Natalie Portman gave an excellent performance as Evey, a young woman pulled into the chaotic world of the enigmatic figure known only as “V,” played by Hugo Weaving. I was especially intrigued to note that John Hurt played Chancellor Sutler… since he played a diametrically opposed role as Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four, adapted from the George Orwell book of the same name. It was interesting to juxtapose V for Vendetta with Orwell’s bleak view of the future. Nox informed me that there were definite differences between the book and the screenplay, but said that the overall feel and flow was good.

The Wachowski Brothers – who brought us The Matrix and its sequels – did the screenplay for V. I am pleased to say that they didn’t attempt to overdo the special effects in lieu of bringing a good story to the scene (which was my main criticism of The Matrix‘ sequels). The effects that they did use, served to enhance the story, rather than supplant it. I give this movie an enthusiastic thumbs-up with an okay.

Stray Toasters

Namaste.