Monday, March 27, 2006

So wait ... you're saying he ISN'T a lizard-like alien under that mask?: "V for Vendetta"

The obvious sophistication I regularly display on this high-culture blog may fool you, but I've been known to read the picture books from time to time.

True, I side with those who call "graphic novels" what they really are: comic books. That didn't keep me from reading one of the first Batman/"Dark Knight" books when I was in high school. I also read "Watchmen" and own a copy of that today.

In addition, those formative years saw me peruse "V for Vendetta," the tale of a kook in a grinning, mustachioed mask who takes on a totalitarian British government in some kind of alternate near-future. It's been, geez, 16-17 years at least since I read it, so the details were fuzzy when I saw a movie version was coming our way. For instance, I couldn't remember who V's love interest was, Betty or Veronica.

Also piquing my interest was the involvement of the Wachowski brothers, who made a little thing called the "Matrix" trilogy. You know, that art-house deal. Even if Keanu Reeves had no part in "V," I figured the special effects and overall action stuff would be good on the big screen.

As I mentioned, Britain is something of a fascist state, and we meet V as he rescues the lithe Natalie Portman from some nasty secret police officers. The masked man goes on to blow up a building, incite revolt over the airwaves and pick off people connected with some shadowy government project from the past, which clearly had a profound effect on him. Meanwhile, young Evey (Portman) debates how much she should help this weirdo as the secret police pursue her.

Some intriguing elements here, as well as three actors who generally capture my attention: Portman, Hugo Weaving (V) and John Hurt (Britain's leader, usually seen ranting on a big screen). Also in the mix is Stephen Rea, who probably just hopes Evey doesn't have a penis. (C'mon ... "The Crying Game!" Talk about one of your great "HELLO!" moments in movie history.)

Good cast, seemingly intelligent story, a nice look overall ... sometimes, that's more than enough for a solid movie. And I guess "V" was OK, even if I got screwed out of the matinee price because the movie was at 4:05 pm and you only get the lower price before 4. Yeah, what a rip.

Still, I had a few problems with the translation from comic book to big screen. In no particular order:
1. The mask was just too distracting. Sounds silly, I know, but it's hard to hear a character talk so much and not see his lips move. (Weaving's voice also was muffled a bit.) Nitpicky? Maybe, but it's my blog.
2. Some dialogue didn't ring true when spoken vs. read. An early bit with V using all of the v-words might have been meant to show his whimsy but was kind of goofy. And when he told Evey that he called his home "The Shadow Gallery," I expected her to say, "Really? And where you keep the D&D stuff, dorkwad?"
3. Why V does everything that he does ... well, I'm not sure it all added up. Hey, I just may not be smart enough to process everything, but it seemed to me that V both wanted to take down the fascist state and exact revenge on those who wronged him. And even if the people responsible were one in the same, and everything else was connected, that didn't come across clearly enough for me. (Keep in mind I liked "Syriana.")

I dunno ... there's a decent chance I'll see this again and appreciate other/deeper aspects of it. I do think it was an ambitious undertaking by the Wachowski boys, and even if things dragged a bit at times, I always appreciate movies that require a little thinking. (Well, beyond such thoughts as "What the f*ck was I thinking watching 'The Wedding Date?'")

It's also a game effort by the actors; Portman's British accent was good and cute, although Demi Moore was a hotter bald chick. If only Natalie had done some one-armed push-ups and gone a$$-kicking with V herself. Like Sir Anthony Michael Hall said in "Weird Science," "What can I say? She likes the rough stuff."

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