This movie was interesting and very original. It really made me think, although it's so unlikely and futuristic (although it's no more than 20 years from now). Although, coming from the Wachowski brothers, the creators of The Matrix (R, 1999), this is not a surprise. There are thrilling explosions, dazzling fight scenes (some in slow motion, of course), and tons of dialogue. One little detail that intrigued me was the fact that this movie seemed to have two protagonists, although the characters came from both (very opposite) points of view, one favoring the government (Stephen Fry) and one that's had horrible luck (and therefore bad experiences) with it (Natalie Portman. Natalie Portman plays a polite young British woman named Evey, and just can't seem to find a solution to all her troubles. As a young child, Evey's parents were killed for speaking against the government and participating in rallies against it. While I'm on the subject of the government [in this film], I'll give you a little background information, it's very different from the way Britain is set up now. After a series of chaotic plagues, riots, and even war, a politician named Adam Sutler (John Hurt), promised peace and prosperity for Britain if it would just give up its personal freedoms (not that he worded it that way, the 'cheeky devil'). Once he had gained power from the people and had assumed the title of Chancellor to enforce peace the strict way, Sutler decided it would be necessary to oppress the people, creating strict laws and hiring brutal, corrupt officials to carry out his orders. Although the people didn't agree with Sutler's methods, they obeyed his commands, afraid of being 'black-bagged' (captured, tortured for any information, if any information was actually needed, and usually killed). Now, it's about 2015 (or something like that), and a mysterious masked (...,hooded, caped, and the rest of the works...) man, only known as 'V' (Hugo Weaving), has appealed to the public as an alternative to the totalitarian life they are currently forced to live. He plans a rebellion to occur in one year from the date the movie starts, November 5, which is the date of the attempted (and failed) Gunpowder Plot of 1605, aided by Roman Catholic Guy Fawkes when the group tried to destroy parliament by blowing it up. So, as you may have noticed, this movie revolves around the November 5, as it is the deadline for the British police to foil V's plot (which is why we see Stephen Fry's witty character so frequently; he is actually the one who helps us learn about who V was before he became 'a monster'). So, Evey comes into this movie when she is out one night after curfew. She is caught by a group of policemen, who would have raped her, if it were not for quick action on V's part. When V decides to show Evey his destruction of some monument (I don't know which, but I'm assuming it was important), the police assume that Evey is in on the plan too. Naturally, Evey can never return to her friends (her family members are all dead, so there's no way she can visit them), unless she wants them to die because of her. But what can be worse than living with V, a cold-blooded killer who has no mercy towards his enemies? Or is he not so bad after all? Guess you're going to find out by seeing this movie. Okay, why this isn't for kids: there's bloody violence, swearing, a few sexual themes, and footage of mass graves full of naked bodies. Also, there are a lot of references to things outside this movie, and I don't mean allusions to The Matrix, I mean like allusions history and literature. Besides all the stuff about Guy Fawkes, there are quotes from Macbeth and more. What I didn't like about the beginning was getting used to Hugo Weaving speaking alliterations behind a mask in an English accent. The final result was very hard to understand and, in the long term, get used to. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad movie; it just wasn't that great. I'd wait to rent this one.
