Movie Review: "V for Vendetta"

by Beth Wander, Head Popcorn Taster

(Editor's Note: Welcome our first contribution from our first staff writer, Beth Wander! Yay!)

Hey, I like popcorn....

First of all, you probably shouldn't read this if you're anal retentive about knowing anything about movies before you see them. I'm not gonna ruin any special endings, at least I don't think so, but there will be plot points and such.

So, V for Vendetta. For starters, I really enjoy Natalie Portman. I'm disgusted by how good she looks with a shaved head, but I can't blame her for that. For a follow up, I REALLY enjoy Hugo Weaving's voice. I have since I first heard it. The accent has something to do with it, but its not all of it, because I don't love all Australian accents that much. So this movie has a few things going for it when I walk in the theater. Then I meet Finch, the cop; and I immediately greet Fergus from The Crying Game, who gives as masterful a performance in this as he did then! So another big bonus. And then the characters start talking... and I give myself up to it.

I don't think anyone will be surprised to hear that I like words. A LOT. I read obsessively, and anyone who can use words wisely and well makes my heart go all pitter-patter. And damn, can those Wachowski boys write. I know the film is based on a graphic novel, and I don't know how much of the script came from who, but damn is it pretty. All I must refer you to is "the V speech" (and if you've seen it you know), the Shakespeare quotes, the flow, the everything. I say, with vim and vigor and absolutely no vitriol, damn.

The story- fascinating. I'm all bleeding heart liberal and stuff, so I was kinda gonna like this movie no matter what I think, but it really was incredibly interesting. I enjoy watching characters change and learn, and movies that take time to cover larger spans of time should have more to offer in that respect, and this one certainly does. The only characters that are static are the ones you KNOW aren't going to change- anyone with a chance to move in any direction takes that oppotunity, or is forced to, and that totally counts. The story was comprehensive, it didn't skip anything, it took time to lead you places, but also gave you time to figure things out. Exposition is a good thing, when well paced with neat stuff- this was a fantastic mix. I dunno what else to say about simply the story, because it only seems right that the pretty story is absolutely tied up and connected to the pretty pretty pictures on the screen. There are at least two scenes that took my breath away, literally. Actually, no there are four. Maybe 6 or 7. And those are just the ones that stuck out from a gorgeous movie. Okay, maybe 8 or 9 or 12 or 40.

To address the political issue. Is this movie making valid political points? Absolutely. Does it make you think? Yes. But really, who's going to agree that the totalitarian government is the good guys? You know whose side you're going to be on when you go to the movie- you just have to let them take you there, and they do it very, very well...

In closing (apologies if this isn't as cohesive as one might hope), when Marsh and Sarah and I left the theater, I realized that it had been a long time since a movie surprised me this much, especially pleasantly. Since they were involved with both, this movie heralded The Matrix. I, along with the rest of the planet, was blown away by the new ideas and the groundbreaking way they were expressed in that movie ("woah" not withstanding- hands down "Vendetta" is better written). That was the feeling I had when I left the theater- seeing and hearing and experiencing that movie had changed me. Not in any groundbreaking way, but in the way of I now have a new standard to appreciate movie beauty. I have some new memories that will never be replaced, some new favorite movie scenes.

Valuable, virtuous, valid, visionary... and I'm out. Man that's sad. I'll give that up and use one of my favorite words. This movie is fancy. So sayeth Beth.