V
Ok, so I finally saw V for Vendetta last night, thanks to Christie : ) I just loved it - from both an artistic and theatrical point of view, and a screaming fan girl point of view : )
Some spoilery here, but I figure most of you have seen this by now, so I'm not putting it behind a cut.
First of all, I kinda wish now that I hadn't read the spoofed Movies in 15 Minutes version, because some of the scenes that were really powerful, I already knew were coming, and was thinking silly things about them. I think i might have cried if I hadn't read the M15Ms before, but whatcha gonna do.
The movie was visualy quite stunning - the imagery stong, and the colour palette tight. Lots of red and black, with everything else, for the most part, rather drab. And wonderful, wonderful use of light and shadows. Kate, you would love this movie for the cinematography even without the political message.
As for the political message... it was well handled in one of those creepy "this could happen so we all better be careful" sorta ways. pretty good for a movie based on a comic written in the 80's, filmed post 9-11 and FINISHING filming during the London bombings last year. I read somewhere that they were going to release the film on Nov 5 last year, which would have been the 400th anniversary of Guy Fawkes's attempt to blow up Parliament, but considering it was only a few months after the bombings, they delayed the release.
The characters were great too. V is not just a "I'm gonna fix this place by blowing things up" sorta guy - he's got a very light hearted (dare I say dorky?) side too - in the kitchen with a flowered apron, fencing with a statue in the living room, and quoting along with his favourite movie. Kinda cute, really. Finch, played by Stephen Rea, is a police investigator who is conflicted because at first it's all about "catch the terrorist so the people will be safe" but pretty soon it becomes "the government is lying to us and maybe the terrorist is right." He does a very good job of it, and it reminded me in some ways of his role in The Crying Game, even though he's on the opposite side of things in this movie. Gordon, played by Stephen Fry, is a great character - both funny and moving. He's seriously an Oscar Wilde for the 21st century - right down to the Happy Make-Fun-of-Fascism Show (which has some great references to classic commedy routines).
But the best character by far is Evey, played by Natalie Portman. I had heard it said that her perfomance in this movie was on par with her character in The Professional. I disagree. She far surpassed that role. Part of it, certainly, is becuase the character in V for Vendetta makes a much further journey, through even harsher and deeper stuff. Her performance is just so powerful.
And of course, in addition to all that, it's a movie who's title character is a mask-wearing, black-caped, knife-flinging vigilante with graceful cat-like reflexes, a penchant for quoting Shakespeare, a love of swashbuckling movies, and a soft spot for dance and red roses. : ) How could I not love it? I am deffinately going to get a copy when it comes out. (But first I need to get a TV...)
Some spoilery here, but I figure most of you have seen this by now, so I'm not putting it behind a cut.
First of all, I kinda wish now that I hadn't read the spoofed Movies in 15 Minutes version, because some of the scenes that were really powerful, I already knew were coming, and was thinking silly things about them. I think i might have cried if I hadn't read the M15Ms before, but whatcha gonna do.
The movie was visualy quite stunning - the imagery stong, and the colour palette tight. Lots of red and black, with everything else, for the most part, rather drab. And wonderful, wonderful use of light and shadows. Kate, you would love this movie for the cinematography even without the political message.
As for the political message... it was well handled in one of those creepy "this could happen so we all better be careful" sorta ways. pretty good for a movie based on a comic written in the 80's, filmed post 9-11 and FINISHING filming during the London bombings last year. I read somewhere that they were going to release the film on Nov 5 last year, which would have been the 400th anniversary of Guy Fawkes's attempt to blow up Parliament, but considering it was only a few months after the bombings, they delayed the release.
The characters were great too. V is not just a "I'm gonna fix this place by blowing things up" sorta guy - he's got a very light hearted (dare I say dorky?) side too - in the kitchen with a flowered apron, fencing with a statue in the living room, and quoting along with his favourite movie. Kinda cute, really. Finch, played by Stephen Rea, is a police investigator who is conflicted because at first it's all about "catch the terrorist so the people will be safe" but pretty soon it becomes "the government is lying to us and maybe the terrorist is right." He does a very good job of it, and it reminded me in some ways of his role in The Crying Game, even though he's on the opposite side of things in this movie. Gordon, played by Stephen Fry, is a great character - both funny and moving. He's seriously an Oscar Wilde for the 21st century - right down to the Happy Make-Fun-of-Fascism Show (which has some great references to classic commedy routines).
But the best character by far is Evey, played by Natalie Portman. I had heard it said that her perfomance in this movie was on par with her character in The Professional. I disagree. She far surpassed that role. Part of it, certainly, is becuase the character in V for Vendetta makes a much further journey, through even harsher and deeper stuff. Her performance is just so powerful.
And of course, in addition to all that, it's a movie who's title character is a mask-wearing, black-caped, knife-flinging vigilante with graceful cat-like reflexes, a penchant for quoting Shakespeare, a love of swashbuckling movies, and a soft spot for dance and red roses. : ) How could I not love it? I am deffinately going to get a copy when it comes out. (But first I need to get a TV...)