"V" may very well stand for
"Vendetta," but this week "V" will also stand for half of the "W" in "Wicked Awesome Movie."
Based on the novel by
Sue Grafton,
V For Vendetta follows heroic suicide bomber Hugo Weaving (
The Magic Pudding) and Natalie Portman (
Starting Young) who seek to bring down an evil Fascist government by demolishing several buildings full of children.
The controversial territory is nothing new for writers Larry and Andy Wachowski (
V For Vendetta) who clearly wrote the film with current events in mind. The government in V is dominated by a fascist leader who uses fear to oppress the masses (John Hurt as Prime Minister "George W. Buush") and his ruthless advisor "Dick Chainey" who both practice an evil religion called "Fishtianity."
To call this film "politically incorrect" would be like calling Albany the capital of New York. Meaning that both would be accurate statements. The first sight of V wearing a bomb belt and cutting off the head of an infidel for a video camera will make many cringe. The sight of Allah emerging from Heaven to bestow eternal life on V as a reward will make for further cringing, as will the image of Hugo Weaving wearing the severed head as a codpiece for the rest of the film, including during one graphic love scene.
The plot is fairly confusing if you haven't read the prequel (U is for 'You Fascist Bastards'). Why does Portman's character possess both male and female genitalia? Why does blowing up orphanages grant "V" magic powers? Who is the character "The Cowboy" and why does he speak only in riddles? How would a cathedral made of sausages stand up to the elements? How do they keep birds from eating it?
Still, a bold idea and a powerful statement of a film. I give it two stars:
**
Author
