It's an irony worthy of V for Vendetta that when Alan Moore has finally had enough of having his writing trashed by the cinema, the Wachowski Brothers and director James McTeigue finally get it right, or, as right as one can expect when a 54 million dollar budget is involved. i flinched during "I love you, Evey" (thanks to Dorian for the warning!), but it wasn't unbearable. What bugged me more were the heavy handed flashbacks (as if we can't figure out the parallel between Rookwood's rebirth by fire, and Evey's by rain) and extremely overdone Hitler references. It's such a waste of John Hurt to have him practically foam at the mouth indicating that fascism is Ee-vil. These things mar an otherwise excellent screenplay which captures the tone as well as the plot of the book. Perhaps these were producers' additions, revealing a lack of trust in the audience to connect the dots, and often employed when either too much, or not enough money is on the line.
On the plus side, Hugo Weaving was an improved replacement for James Purefoy as V. His voice and diction is so distinctive, and his body language so provocative that the masked character walks the line between man and idea as well as David Lloyd's drawings. If you're as underwhelmed by Natalie Portman's oevre as i am, this is certainly her best performance since The Professional. She clearly believed in Evey, and was certainly a more appropriate choice than either Scarlett Johansson or Bryce Dallas Howard, who were also considered. World weary Stephen Rea is likewise perfect as Finch. i need to go back to the book, but it seems that Stephen Fry's Deitrich has a proportionately expanded role in the film, but he's such a joy to watch that i can't complain. The movie runs at a brisk clip without sacrificing its balance to special effects.
V for Vendetta is exciting, engaging, fairly intelligent, and can safely be recommended to those who haven't read the book without destroying any chance they will wish to read the book later. Considering the past history of Alan Moore adaptations, an admirable achievement.
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