V For Vendetta

After Matrix: Reloaded and Matrix: Revolutions failed to meet the audience's expectation, the name "Wachowski Brothers" didn't have the glamor and audience draw it used to have. This is possibly why the Wachowski Brother's next film, V For Vendetta, did not do so well at the Singapore box office.

It is a pity, because V For Vendetta is one of the better movies released in 2006. It is a movie that explore timely themes I never thought Hollywood would ever dared to touch with a 10ft pole. The plot is almost a Star Trek-esque allegory of current world affairs, that is, if one ignored V's vengeful motivation for murder and revolution. For that, I give it kudos.

The movie revolves around a masked man who calls himself "V". Who is V? I'll let him introduce himself.

V calls himself a victim and villain. His vendetta is vengeance against the dystopian Big Brother government in England. Naturally, he is called a terrorist and murderer by the nation's leaders for bombing Old Bailey, the capital of England's judicial system as well as for murdering high ly prominent party leaders. Yet V is also the anti-hero of this movie, a lone man fighting against a government with a terrible, dark secret. As you can imagine, this is a movie where no one is truly good nor truly evil. V for Vendetta is like the visual tone pervasive throughout the movie, sheathed in so many shades of shades of gray. Yet somehow, V for Vendetta ends up shining a spotlight on both the black and the white.

For those of you who think that this is only a dark and gritty story, fear not for the movie is also replete with oddball comedic gems like the short video segment you see above. For those of you who are familiar with Benny Hill, watch for a signature Benny Hill sketch, which in my opinion is worth its weight in gold.

In all, V for Vendetta is a superb mix of action, satire, social commentary and all round good acting from leading actors Hugo Weaving (V) and Natalie Portman (Evey) as well as the entire supporting cast.