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V for Vendetta Our rating: Rate this movie   MPAA rating: R (for strong violence and some language) Genre: Action, Drama, Science Fiction Theater release: March 17, 2006 by Warner Bros. Directed by: James McTeigue Runtime: 2 hours 12 minutes Cast: Natalie Portman (Evey), Hugo Weaving (V), Stephen Rea (Finch), Stephen Fry (Deitrich), John Hurt (Adam Sutler), Tim Pigott-Smith (Creedy) Related: Talk About It/Family Corner

The Brits have an odd celebration on the fifth of November called Guy Fawkes Night (alternatively known as Bonfire Night), which commemorates the so-called Gunpowder Plot in 1605, a failed attempt to blow up Parliament and assassinate King James I. Fawkes and his co-conspirators were thwarted, executed for treason and attempted murder, but his legacy lives on through what some describe as the British equivalent to Independence Day in America.

For most, Guy Fawkes Night is an excuse for fireworks, serving as a testament to the defeat of terrorism. Others, however, feel it celebrates terrorism, and more cynical celebrants view Fawkes as a hero and excuse for doing away with politicians; the public even voted the man into the BBC's 2002 list of the 100 Greatest Britons. Four centuries later, V for Vendetta seems poised to cause a similar stir of mixed reactions—an impressive fireworks display with anti-government sentiments.

Natalie Portman as Evey

The film's story takes place roughly twenty years from now. Britain has transformed from monarchy to a 1984-styled totalitarian regime led by Adam Sutler (John Hurt resembling Hitler). Society is ruled with an iron fist of fear. Art and self-expression are censored. Homosexuals, minorities, and Muslims are shipped off to internment camps. Nightly curfews are enforced by corrupt secret police. Even real butter is saved for the rich and elite.

But the social climate is changed dramatically on November 5, when a mysterious dark avenger wearing a Fawkes mask and going by the codename V (Hugo Weaving) introduces himself to the public through a bombing complete with fireworks and the "1812 Overture." The next day, V appears on a television broadcast, encouraging the people of Britain to rise up against their oppressors by joining him to witness the destruction of Parliament on Guy Fawkes Night the following year. In the months that follow, V begins to knock off various heads of state, while law enforcement—led by detective Finch (Stephen Rea)—attempt to uncover a pattern in the deaths that might lead to the vigilante's identity before the bomb threat is carried out.

Caught in the middle of all this is Evey (Natalie Portman), a young television production assistant rescued by V when police catch her outside past curfew. Turns out that Evey has a shady past of her own, and she soon finds herself a fugitive. After aiding V in turn when he raids her workplace, she's forced to seek refuge in his Shadow Gallery, an underground cultural repository filled with media and artifacts reclaimed from the government censors. Evey finds herself drawn to V's incredible charm, yet also fearful of his dark plans and slightly mad persona, unsure whether to trust his hospitality or to escape and foil his plans.

Evey experiences a few close shaves in the film, none closer than this one

Alan Moore wrote the original graphic novel in the '80s as a response to Margaret Thatcher conservatism, and in time it has become regarded as a classic. Ten years later, Andy and Larry Wachowski adapted it into a screenplay, only to get sidetracked with The Matrix trilogy before they could film it. Having temporarily satisfied their desire to direct, the Wachowskis handed the reigns to James McTeigue (their assistant director from The Matrix movies), content to oversee V for Vendetta as the film's producers.

It's all still very much from the makers of The Matrix, retaining some of the Wachowskis' famed visual flair while staying true to the spirit of the graphic novel. Moore had his name removed from the project, understandably wary of Hollywood after the poor adaptation of another of his works, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. But Moore should be proud of this one. The Wachowskis have made the story more cohesive by smoothing out some of the details and clarifying some of the more abstract themes, while also punching up the dialogue with more heart and humor. V and Evey share some wonderful exchanges together, and V's alliteration-heavy introduction is a nice touch that instantly reveals him as both appealing and unhinged.

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