Hooray, another film for the “loved” pile. What a fantastic piece of work. Rave rave!
The story follows Evie (an awesome Natalie Portman), an ordinary-ish girl who gets caught up with a modern day Guy Fawkes (the ‘V’ of the title). You know I don’t even know where to start describing it. The film opens with a split-screen of Evie and V getting ready to go out – Evie putting on makeup, V putting on his mask and cloak. Did I mention the mask? By modern day Guy Fawkes, I meant someone who dresses up as him, wears a Guy Fawkes mask, and plans to blow up parliament.
Except we’re a number of years in the future – democracy doesn’t exist anymore, and the country has definitely gone 1984 / Big Borther under the ruthless Supreme Chancellor. There’s been a world war somewhere along the way too. Everyone lives in fear of the “fingers”, who are basically the SS.
Evie is caught breaking curfew, but before the fingers take her away, V turns up and kills (or at least disables) them all. He then takes Evie to a rooftop, and proceeds to blow up the Old Bailey. Turns out that V is a terrorist come freedom fighter, who wants to topped the government, blow up Parliament, and give power back to the people.
Actually, this isn’t the opening sequence – the opening sequence is of the original Guy Fawkes being caught trying to blow up Parliament, and hung. Remember, remember the 5th of November…
All the main characters are fab, V, Evie, and the police inspector who’s trying to catch them. The plot and script are both excellent – full of surprises, wonderful character development, and the sense that probably justice has been done by the end of the film. V himself is certainly a constant surprise, and has an unending stream of great lines. Perhaps my favourite – V is in a underground tunnel with one of the head nasties, and about 10 soliders armed with automatic rifles. V says that he’s going to kill the had baddy with his bare hands, after which the exchange goes?
Baddie: “That’s not going to happen – we’ve got guns, all you’ve got is your knifes and fancy karate moves”
V: “No, you’ve got bullets – and the hope that after you’ve used them all I’m not standing, because if I still am you’ll all be dead before you can reload.”
Fab line. Actually pretty much everything V says is fab.
If I say anymore I’m in danger of spoiling the film – but it captured the feel of the Big Brother state brilliantly, and V has to be one of the best heroes/villians I’ve seen for a long time (beats the pants of Daniel Craig, for example). Incidentally, Stephen Fry puts in a very good turn too.
My conclusion: Watch it. Tomorrow. No, actually make that today.