V for Vendetta - 2006

V for Vendetta very well may be the most interesting movie I have viewed in some time.I am not going to lie, as much as I loved this movie, not only would I probably not watch it again, but I would go as far as saying that most average viewers will be strongly turned off by V for Vendetta. It's an extremely slow moving film, which was okay for me as a lot of the time was spent developing characters. But the political statements that are so strongly slammed over the viewers' head really can hurt the film's popularity. While it was fantastic to actually have to think during a movie again (and maybe a little bit too much), with about thirty minutes left in the film it really started to drag. It is not a serious flaw, if one at all, it is just if I had one thing to actually complain about it would be that.

Set in a fairly futuristic Britain, "V" (Hugo Weaving) is growing terribly tried of the corrupt government that has completely taken over. After rescuing a young girl named Evey (Natalie Portman) he sees what might be his finest chance at an ally, and kidnaps her to be held until his plan has been finished. By exploding to major landmarks V begins to catch the eye of the governement, and as November the 5th approaches, as well as V's plan, people begin to wonder if this "terrorist" is on the wrong side after all.

James McTeigue, a director most people are not familiar with, has only directed one other film besides V for Vendetta, which is Ninja Assassin, and I am pretty sure most people consider that trash. With that being said, I could not be more impressed with McTeigue's directorial debut in V for Vendetta. His direction was nearly flawless, though unfortunately he could not bring out the best in Natalie Portman.

While McTeigue clear had full control over this film, his work was not the most impressive part to me. The director has the hardest job, no one wants to argue that, but Andy and Larry Wachowski's screenplay was absolutely incredible. The story was brilliant, borrowed from Alan Moore's novel of the same name, and the script along with that was some of the best writing I have heard in a long while. It certainly helped Natalie Portman, that is for sure.

Well, I don't think I need to elaborate much more on Portman's performance. The accent was horribly annoying, and while her performance was not awful, or even bad really, I just could help but cringe throughout it all. Hugo Weaving, however, left me speechless, with a performance that I would call his career best (though I have not seen much of his films, so don't judge me). The rest of the supporting cast did a good job as well, but all in the end fell in the shadow of Weaving's masterful work.

Overall, V for Vendetta is a film with strong, and meaningful, political statements. I don't see myself ever choosing to watch it again, but with an unforgettable performance, strong direction and a script that rarely comes along, the film certainly makes it up the ranks for the best of 2006.

3.5/4 Stars