March 17th, 2006 12:04 am V for Vendetta By John DeFore / [url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/reviews/review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001701281]Hollywood Reporter[/url] AUSTIN -- In a political environment that can brew controversy out of allegorical children's fables or a documentary about penguins, it is hard to imagine the intensity of feeling that will greet "V for Vendetta," a movie whose heroes are terrorists. One foresees news talk shows in which red-faced pundits denounce the filmmakers and call for boycotts. Given a film as entertaining and solidly crafted as this one, such attention could turn into strong boxoffice.Of course, plenty of films -- particularly those set in dystopian futures like this one -- identify with revolutionaries. But most put heavy sci-fi clothing on their brave new worlds, while "V" takes pains to tie its reality to our own. Although based on a comic book, it isn't as heavily stylized as a superhero movie. Its score and production design, both rich and inviting, are heightened without suggesting that this near-future London is an outright fantasy, though the new government, a restrictive state led by John Hurt's Sutler, is draped in some awfully Nazi-ish iconography.If the film's look and feel refuse to flee from the real world, its dialogue takes every chance to connect to it. We are told about the recent past, that "America's war grew worse and worse, and eventually came to London." Hot-button terms like "rendition" are sprinkled about; dissidents are handled as in a third-world dictatorship; and our hero (who calls himself V) lectures citizens who have surrendered their liberties to a government that promised to protect them from terrorism.As V, Hugo Weaving has the unenviable task of playing the entire film behind an immobile mask. He rises to the challenge, bringing the character to life with body language and his sonorously nimble voice.V has a flair for the theatrical. He introduces himself to London on Guy Fawkes Day with fireworks and a symbolic bombing, then hijacks a television broadcast to announce that he will return a year later to destroy the Houses of Parliament. He suggests that citizens who feel oppressed by their rulers should join him there. And then he's gone, leaving some very anxious politicians in his wake.The viewer's proxy here is Evey (Natalie Portman), who accidentally becomes a part of V's plans. With her, we work through many of the expected reactions to V's approach -- and if she eventually comes around to his way of thinking, the film certainly doesn't present the choice as an uncomplicated one. The filmmakers (Andy and Larry Wachowski adapting the screenplay, James McTeigue at the helm) are clearly on the vigilante's side, but they give viewers room to question his motives and methods: Has he psychologically programd Evey? Is the city of London about to become a war zone simply because V has a personal grudge? The serious tone "Vendetta" takes encourages such moral nitpicking.Although some marketing materials aim to position this as an action film, viewers expecting a thrill ride might be disappointed. V engages in a couple of satisfying crime-fighting set pieces, but the story is more occupied with mystery and intrigue. Happily, it almost is entirely free of the hollow pomposity that marred the Wachowskis' last two "Matrix" films. Here, Alan Moore's graphic novel and the history of real-world oppressive governments is more than enough, leaving no need for the screenwriters to invent hokey mythologies and plenty of room to fantasize about revolution.V FOR VENDETTAWarner Bros. PicturesSilver PicturesCredits:Director: James McTeigueScreenwriters: Andy Wachowski & Larry WachowskiBased on the graphic novel by: Alan Moore and David Lloydproducers: Grant Hill, Joel Silver, Andy Wachowski, Larry WachowskiExecutive producer: Benjamin WaisbrenDirector of photography: Adrian BiddleProduction designer: Owen PatersonMusic: Dario MarianelliCo-producers: Roberto Malerba, Henning Molfenter, Charlie WoebckenCostume designer: Sammy SheldonEditor: Martin WalshCast:Evey Hammond: Natalie PortmanV: Hugo WeavingFinch: Stephen ReaSutler: John HurtProthero: Roger AllamGordon Deitrich: Stephen FryCreedy: Tim Pigott-SmithMPAA rating RRunning time -- 131 minutes

However, its good to be against the authority.If you look at the history of America, then you'll know that our founding fathers were terrorist.Look at fables like Robin hood as an example. Too much Fallacy in this guys arguemnt, but I don't fell like I want to argue online anymore now.

My personal favourite is John Dillinger

March 20th, 2006 1:05 pm 'V' scores on a distracting weekend By Scott Bowles / [url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2006-03-19-box-office-analysis_x.htm]USA Today[/url] V, it turns out, is for victory at theaters. Going up against the NCAA college basketball tournament and St. Patrick's Day festivities, the political thriller V for Vendetta coasted to an easy win at the box office this weekend. It brought in a healthy $26.1 million, according Nielsen EDI. The movie met most analysts' projections and helped restore at least a little of the luster of writer/producers Andy and Larry Wachowski, whose final two installments of the Matrix trilogy left many fans disappointed. The film also marked the latest in a string of Hollywood films willing to be political. Like Good Night, and Good Luck and Munich, Vendetta uses a dramatic story line to raise questions about the size and scope of government and the nature of revenge. Set in Britain in 2020, Vendetta examines the balance between national security and personal freedom. "Ever since Fahrenheit 9/11, I think we've been seeing there's a real audience for movies with political agendas," says Joel Silver, who produced Vendetta with the Wachowskis. "I don't know how many people are showing up because they want to hear political messages, but they're certainly more open to hearing them." Vendetta was first published as a graphic novel in 1989, when Silver came across it. "It was like a 1930s comic book set in the future," Silver says. "I can't say what it was, but there was something about it that made me think it would work as a movie." Little of the concept screams Hollywood hit. The hero, Hugo Weaving, wears a mask throughout. Co-star Natalie Portman is shorn and grungy. "It's an odd little movie," Silver says. "We weren't sure who would show up." It turns out, a lot of adults would. About 55% of the audience for the R-rated movie was 25 and older. "That's much higher than we expected," says Dan Fellman, distribution chief for Warner Bros., which released the movie. "We're hoping that means the box office can go higher than an audience of just young males could take it." The box-office future isn't quite so bright for the teen comedy She's the Man, which opened with a respectable if unspectacular $11 million, good for fourth place. Failure to Launch was second with $15.8 million. Disney's The Shaggy Dog dropped just 16% from its debut last week for third place with $13.6 million. Ticket sales dipped 11% from the same weekend last year, and this is the fifth straight weekend the box office trailed the same period last year. Final figures are due today.

Just saw it tonight....good movie...good message......and not the usual while being the usual.

‘Vendetta’ a powerhouse Examining the thin line between terrorist and hero. David Koon / [url=http://www.arktimes.com/Articles/ArticleViewer.aspx?ArticleID=141612cb-9821-43b6-b588-b49980f7ea63]Arkansas Times[/url] Though it’s not very popular to say so in America these days, it’s as true as it ever was: One man’s “terrorist” is another man’s “freedom fighter” — it all depends on who is wearing the jackboots. A superb new film that explores the hair-thin line between hero and villain — especially when it comes to blowing things up for political aims — is “V for Vendetta.” A stunningly original and even profound movie from the Wachowski brothers (creators of “The Matrix” series), it’s both a modern-day swashbuckling tale and a none-too-subtle commentary on Bush-era governance by fear, one sure to spur debate among both comic book freaks and political science professors. Though I’ve heard more than one critic say that “V for Vendetta” is set in a parallel universe Britain in which the Nazis won World War II, the careful viewer will soon see there’s nothing so fantastic as that going on. Instead, what we are presented is a very real world of possibly 20 years from now — one that crash-landed at the bottom of the slippery slope of trading safety for freedom in the era of terrorism. With the United States long since consumed by a mysterious virus and civil war, Britain has devolved into a totalitarian state of zealots, book burners and TV zombies, all ruled by Chancellor-for-life Adam Sutler (the suitably slimy John Hurt). With Sutler keeping power by way of black-booted thug squads and cronies at the television station, it’s a terrifying place, one where homosexuals, critics, malcontents and the otherwise different disappear in the middle of the night and are never seen again. Then, as often happens, one man stands up. In this case, it’s the mysterious V (Hugo Weaving), a happy-go-lucky killing machine in a black cape and a porcelain mask, meant to bring to mind 17th-century British terrorist Guy Fawkes, who tried to blow up Parliament and kill the king. V arrives on the scene by blowing up the Old Bailey landmark in London and then, hacking into the government television station, threatens that on Nov. 5 of the following year (the anniversary of Fawkes’ capture) he will attempt to finish his predecessor’s work, hoping it will spawn a revolution. Between dodging the police and doing in evildoers, V manages to save the life of Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman), spiriting her back to his hidden lair, which is stuffed to the rafters with censored art he has stolen from government vaults. In time, she becomes his sort-of sidekick, discovering his secrets, the hidden truth behind the terrorist attack that started the country on the road to totalitarianism, and the extent of V’s madness in short order. Even more important than the political bent of “V for Vendetta” is its emphasis on characters and their development. For that reason, this is the rare action movie with a heart, albeit a dark one. No one, not even the hero, is all good or all bad. Just as often as we see V sticking up for the little guy, cracking jokes and expressing his admiration for Errol Flynn, we also see him in the stereotypical role of the terrorist — including a scene in which he opens his coat to reveal the classic suicide bomber’s dynamite-covered vest (other all-too current post-9/11 symbols make their appearance as well: warnings of an imminent bird flu epidemic, orange jumpsuits and naked prisoners in piles and hooded with black bags, as seen in the Abu Ghraib photos). Still, given that V is anybody’s definition of the word “terrorist,” it’s hard to know who to root for, something that’s rare in a Hollywood movie. In time, the question becomes: How bad does your government have to be before life as a terrorist — a killer of both the innocent and guilty in the pursuit of political change — is OK? While not many would rank America as being that bad yet, “V for Vendetta” seems to say that the answer is just a short trip down the slippery slope away.