ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Ehier & Reeve at the Movies: V for Vendetta

Iain W. Reeve and Brady Ehler, OP Vengeance Veterans

Reeve: ;

I’m a sucker for well done big brother, dystopian horror- world movies. Classics such as 1984 and its satirical cousin, Brazil, have created chilling and horrific worlds that do an excellent job of forcing us to look inward at the world we live in now. V_ for Vendetta is born of this line, but is by no means of the same pedigree as the aforementioned films.

Based on the cult-famous 80s comic mini-series by writing demigod Alan Moore—also creator of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen—and adapted for the screen by The Wachowski Brothers, this film manages to create a rather chilling view of Britain gone mad. Hugo Weaving, who became a geek favourite after roles in The Matrix and Lord of the Rings films, plays out the role of our mysterious pro- tagonist V. He leads a rebellion against the nightmare auto- cratic state that has subtly taken control of the UK. Along the way, he enlists the rebel-in-waiting Evey, played by a very capable Natalie Portman. The two summon screen chemistry, with Weaving managing a powerful performance despite his character being masked for the entire film.

The world of Vis terrifying, but some of the things that played well in the comics come off as awkward on film. The speed with which the people are led to start throwing off their shackles is somewhat questionable, as is the level of technology in the not-so-distant-future where the film takes place. Would people in an autocratic state a dozen years from now still be using Dell flatscreens? I sup- pose the neat thing about it is seeing the 7984-style night- mare world in its infancy, as the citizens of /’s Britain can still remember a democracy.

I can say that V’ is an entertaining film. It is not as evocative or thought provoking as other films with similar themes, but it is more action packed and, in some ways, humanistic. The many characters that become woven into the film make for an interesting connection to the world. As with The Matrix, there are some sort of goofy writing blips, but all in all this is a worthwhile effort.

Ehler:

Natalie Portman should be thrown into an industrial incin- erator. At 24, she is a Hollywood mega-celebrity who has had major roles in several movies that have made more money then the gross national product of small African nations. She is also more attractive than any non-genetically engineered person has any right to be. So she is rich, famous, and beautiful, she’s got to be dumb right? No! Portman has recently acquired a Harvard degree in psychol- ogy. On top of all of this, she is a moderately good actor.

My conclusion is that Natalie Portman must be destroyed on the grounds that she has way more going for her than the rest of us will ever have. I suggest incineration, because many of us will take great joy in her blood-curdling death-screams.

What else was I going to say...oh yes, the movie. for Vendetta was about as good as The Matrix Revolutions. Many people will surely disagree with me on this; however, those people were no doubt blindsided by the fact that the expec- tations for the final installment of the Matrix trilogy were set extremely high, causing it to be a let down.

While V_for Vendetta was entertaining for several rea- sons, the characters were flat. V, the main character...sort of, was especially two-dimensional. We are given little of his history and actually seemed more like a metaphor for an ideal as opposed to an actual person. This was, in fact made very clear—before the concept was shattered in a brief dia- logue that caused a sudden and profound change in the character.

The fact that the Wachowski brothers apparently have no idea how to create a three-dimensional central protago- nist was especially disconcerting in this movie, because the lead was played by the astonishingly talented Hugo Weaving. Here’s the thing: Wachowski characters aren’t characters at all, they are metaphors. If you don’t believe me, watch The Matrix again, because you didn’t get it.

All in all, this was a decent movie with some strong individual scenes. Unfortunately, as a whole, it left much to be desired, like a brief respite from never-ending waves of shallow Hollywood allegory.

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sss

lain W. Reeve, . Shamless Self-Promoter

This week’s website:

Don’t Date Him Girl lain W. Reeve, Web Romeo

No one likes a cheater. Nothing ruins a fun evening faster than someone who convinces you “quizjxyk” is a word legal in Scrabble, or who pulls your controller out just as you're about to go for the gold in a spirited game of Mario Kart. But while these types of cheating lead to yelling, screaming, and the occasional bloody lip, there is another type of cheating that damages something more important: the heart.

We all know that not only guys cheat, but we also know that girls, at least in our society, have a tendency to be the less conniving, more committed of the sexes. This week’s Interweb site, www.dontdatehimgirl.com, gives women a way of checking up on their new flame, to see if he is off warming anyone else’s tootsies. You can seatch for a scumbag by name, city, or keywords. An advanced search option allows to cross-section these traits with things like height and age.

Once you find an entry, you are treated to a jaded woman’s retelling of her run-in with Mr. Wrong. These entties run the gamut from hilarious, to sad, to just plain incomprehensible. The problem with unfiltered ranting by the emotionally jaded is that it often comes out as impenetrable as the murkiest waters. Though, it does mean that you—yes you, the jaded woman—can get out there and hammer the guy who broke your heart to make sure your fellow ladies don’t get burned like you did.

While the site lacks many Lower Mainland guys—~ watch out for them though, they’re scary sounding—it is, if nothing else, good for a laugh. But hey, if you girls get out there and let the Internet know about all the pimps, playas, and husslas out there you’d be mak- ing the world a better place for us good, loyal guys who really just want to be happy with the right girl. So let them have it www.dontdatehimgirl.com! Anything that screws over guys who treat girls like property makes me a happy camper.