"V" FOR VENDETTA (2005)

Directed by James McTeigue. Starring Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, John Hurt. Drama/Action. Synopsis: A futuristic tale of the resistance against a totalitarian British society revolving around one freedom fighter who wears a mask in honor of a 17th century rebel who attempted to burn down parliament.

Wow. Now this one is really one to talk about, the type of movie that gives you a little of everything you could want in a film all in one movie: action, intrigue, suspense, light comedy, some romance, and keeps you interested, yet does it all in a fairly unique way. Its the kind of movie that is hard to describe, only because you know you won't do it justice.

V is set in Britain in the future, not too distant, in fact, although it is not specified, you get the feeling from the settings and continual news that is the backdrop of the film that its no more than a few years from the present day, if that. That makes it even more interesting when we realize how much things have changed, not just in Britain but globally. We learn early on that the United States is now the "former" U.S. and referred to as the "colony" that is besieged by disease. As for Britain, its now a totalitarian society, itself recovering from a wave of a deadly virus, complete with a national curfew, a ban on such things as real butter and the Koran, as well as a propaganda spewing press. Again, we are not told the exact specifics of how and when this came to be, which I think is very effective within the context of the story.

That's probably how major changes have seemed in history, although not to us in hindsight. For many people living in Germany in the early 1930's for example, the change from one of the cultural meccas of Europe to arguably the most evil regime in history in just a few years could probably be described as "slowly at first, then all at once."

Getting back to V for Vendetta, the two main characters are Evey (Natalie Portman) and mask-wearing avenger-or terrorist-depending on your point of view, V (Hugo Weaving). V wears a mask fashioned after the face of 17th century English hero (antihero?) Guy Fawkes. The symbolism is intentional, as V intends to spark enough unrest to overthrow the entrenched regime, lead by the Chancellor (John Hurt The Elephant Man, The Skeleton Key)

Evey is the child of now deceased parents who were active in the resistance back in the day when things really started getting bad, so there is a little bit of a rebellios streak in her. She meets V when he appears out of nowhere to save her from a probable rape by two goverment officials who had approached Evey for breaking curfew.

Every is swept off her feet by V and soon learns of his huge plan to blow up Parliament-in the manner of the real Guy Fawkes-and to start what is hoped will be a huge uprising against the government. And, V is really something with his sword, let me tell you, as well as being very smooth with his tongue particularly, as you might guess, words beginning with the letter V.

V systematically begins whacking key political figures who, we find out later, have personally wronged him in the past, which is part of the reason he wears the mask. Of course, there is no surprise when the romantic flames begin to flicker between V and Evey, but it is almost totally implied and in the context of their shared disdain for the government.

Like I said, this movie has many elements and will keep you engaged from start to finish. To me, its clear that its a statement on where we could be in short order, based on where we are now, and when I say "we", I'm talking about the U.S./British alliance and specifically what is going on in the Middle East. Now, that is not stated specifically, but its sure what I got out of it; as well as how easy some think it might be for a whole society to turn so completely on "despised" groups such as foreigners, homosexuals, etc.

So, its a political movie in the clothing of an action flick, and without making any obviously political statements, so you can just enjoy it as a futuristic fantasy film if you want. The acting is excellent, and I should also mention that Stephen Rea is also wonderful in his role as a reluctant police officer who clearly has reservations about the government he serves. Hurt is perfect for his role and commands the screen as always, Portman and Weaving were fantastic together.

This one was an instant addition to the favorites list.

For what that's worth.