Remember, Remember the 5th of November with "V for Vendetta"

God, I love this movie!  There's really nothing to not enjoy.  The Wachowskis and director James McTeigue craft a wonderfully entertaining political thriller.  Love the characters.  Love how the hero's face is never revealed because it doesn't matter who he is.  What matters is what he believes.  It's a crime if you haven't seen this movie.  Great way to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day.

Here is the rough draft of my review for the paper:

THE REEL: Remember the 5^th of November with “V for Vendetta”

@thereelbennyc; thereelbennyc.blogspot.com

            “Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November, the Gunpowder Treason and Plot.  I know of no reason why the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot…”  Anyone who logged into their Facebook accounts or accessed their Twitter feeds yesterday morning likely read the endless list of statuses and tweets containing these lines in commemoration of November 5^th, which in Great Britain is Guy Fawkes Day.  This 19^th century English folk rhyme also serves as the opening lines for the popular film “V for Vendetta”, about a freedom fighter who uses the ideals that Guy Fawkes once stood for to fight against his totalitarian English society.  This freedom fighter, known only as “V”, even wears a mask resembling Fawkes when exacting revenge against those responsible not only for the fear and tyranny plaguing the whole country, but also for ruining his life.

            It’s easy to see from yesterday’s infinite number of status updates and tweets that “V for Vendetta” is a very popular film, but it’s popular for good reason.  This is an immensely entertaining vision of the future that is thought-provoking, terrifying, humorous in wit, and strong on plot and character development.  The film makes a few political assertions that some may find irksome, but there is little otherwise to not love about “V for Vendetta”. 

            The film is written by Andy and Lana Wachowski of “Matrix” fame and is probably the most exciting political thriller I’ve ever seen.  I enjoy the twists the plot undergoes as well as the acting performances by the entire cast.  I give special props to Natalie Portman for her portrayal of Evey Hammond, the lead female character and only ally of our masked antihero V.  She shaved off her real hair for the scene in which she is held captive and tortured for information regarding V’s whereabouts.  Talk about commitment to character!

            The only criticism I have of this film is a minor complaint.  In fact, it’s hardly worth mentioning.  I don’t mind the politics because I understand that they are all used for the purpose of telling a great story.  I just find the ending to be highly improbable, even for the stylized world that the film takes place in.  V places explosives on a subway train for the purpose of attacking the Houses of Parliament.  The train reaches its destination, and it does detonate, but I should think that an explosion originating underground at the building’s center won’t cause the Big Ben clocktower to explode violently from bottom to top, unless V placed explosives there that the audience doesn’t know about.  Regardless, it’s a minor criticism that doesn’t ruin the film’s overall effect. 

            Finally, anyone who has seen “V for Vendetta” has to have some affection not necessarily for V’s beliefs, but for the way he delivers them.  “Behind this mask there is more than flesh.  Behind this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof!” says V in a final act of defiance against England’s chief of secret police.  It’s an intense scene that I’m certain is etched in the memory of everyone who posted Facebook statuses or tweeted in reference to the film’s first lines yesterday.