Film Review: "V for Vendetta" (2006)

"V for Vendetta" will draw you in and not let you go until the end.

It's based on a futuristic London where the war on terror has led to an authoritarian England with (you guessed it) those nasty conservatives in power. (To me, the first thing I thought of was "this must have been what Iraq was like under Saddam Hussein or Russia under the Communists", but perhaps I'm just not enlightened.)

The main character, "V", is an shadowy, anarchic Phantom-of-the-Opera-like figure who endeavours to take the government back from the authorities and into the hands of the people in the spirit of Guy Fawkes, a 1600's renegade who once tried burning down Great Britain's Parliament in the name of populism. He takes Natalie Portman as his accomplice, against her will, interestingly enough, and together they work to reclaim the country.

This is a modern version of an Orwellian novel. Despite a few odd "Twilight Zone" touches which really don't do much to advance the plot but are a bone to the sci-fi/Matrix crowd, this is a great flick for those who are interested in how society is organized through (or by, depending on your preference) government.

Don't plan on falling asleep during "V for Vendetta" (in other words, don't watch it on a Friday night) or else you'll miss an intelligent, thought-provoking and very well-done look at what nations can and have become when a docile and unengaged citzenry fails to provide the necessary checks on power.

Overall rating: 9/10