goodbreakingbad

Yeah, it really is. They are utterly different.

MBfan19

I haven't watched this movie yet but I did hear negative views about it.. haven't really checked in to the revieww.. but i'll definitely watch it one day.

goodbreakingbad

I am waiting for the DVD release, I so want it!

MBfan19

It's interesting some say it seems like The Phantom of the Opera.. it's nothing like that since they are two different stories besides the mask.

goodnightboy

What kind of negative reviews? Everyone I know who watched it loved it.

goodbreakingbad

I agree, it has nothing in common with that movie.

UnsilentMajorty

The film is nothing like "The Phantom of the Opera" at all. It is actually more like "The Count of Monte Cristo" which is referrenced in the film itself if you recall?

The reason the movie got some bad reviews is A) It is a graphic novel/comic book movie which means the audience is already limited and most movie critics don't read comic books or graphic novels on average. Therefore, they automatically pigeon-holed the film as another "geeky comic book adaptation" before even seeing the film, and B) A lot of critics don't like movies which try and make a statement on the current climate (social; political; economic; etc.) of the world and immediately label them as being pretentious.

Also, there is the possiblity the character of V is homosexual -- Or, at least, a symbol of the persecution of Gays/Lesbians by modern society which may have been another factor in why some panned the film.

In my opinion, the film is not pretentious and is good storytelling with a hint of how easy it is for governments, societies and their people to go down the wrong road (to facism/totalitarianism) if they aren't careful. This is the extet of its "preaching" and I for one appreciate movies where you can take something more relevant away from them once they are over compared to the mindless teen-age fluff most films concern themselves with.

Nataline Portman is spot on as Evey and I can see why her agent told her to take the role.

It is not your typical "damsel in distress" role, nor it is a "the hero's sidekick/girlfriend" role either. Evey has an actual character arc which requires her to act -- Which Natalie can do -- And you see this arc climax in the scene after the "torture" sequence when V reveals himself and why he did what he did to/for her.

goodbreakingbad

Really? I never thought V was homosexual.

UnsilentMajorty

There is a lot of stuff in the movie that suggests this and it is up for debate.

The main one is most of the people who were taken to Larkhill and experimented on were in fact homosexuals/lesbians -- Like the actress who was a lesbian who V has a shrine to and whom wrote to him before she died -- And how these people symbolize the new Jews of the world who were put in camps by the Nazi's for being "undesirables".

Another possible hint V is homosexual is Evey's friend, Gordon(?) who she goes to for help.

He cooks and flips the eggs just like V -- And Gordon admits he is homosexual to Evey in that one scene in his vault. If you want to take this theory further, V and Gordon were lovers and this is how V knew how to cook eggs. He (V) said his mother taught him -- which may have been true -- But Gordon doing the exact same thing and Evey commenting on it was one of those scenes that just wasn't a "throw away" scene and was put in for a reason... Probably to re-inforce the "no coincidence" theme which runs through out the movie... Hence, there may have been a connection between V and Gordon.

Of course, the big thing which negates all of these theories is V falls in love with Evey toward the end.

However, one can interpret this love is more a love of realizing he is still human after all the hate and vegeance had been driving him for all those years and that he actually fell in love with the idea of Evey as a clean slate-type of figure who he could pass on a better world to more than a romantic type of love. Again, this along with everything is up for debate.

On a personal note, I would not care if V was in fact a Gay/Homosexual hero because it would be another ground-breaking character in the sense some of the greatest things in human history have been accomplished by Gay and Lesbian people even if people didn't know it at the time. I am not Gay, but I have no problem with a mainstream Gay hero since his sexual orientation was not the focus of what he was trying to do which was make the world a better place for everyone in the end.

goodbreakingbad

Oh, I wouldn't mind if he was gay either, I have never been one to have a problem with that. I just didn't feel he was. I can see how many of those moments can have undertones to them, but I guess I just didn't read into them.

Anabela

Weird that you say that because all the reviews I read were great. All the newspapers I read said the movie was great.

goodbreakingbad

Is there a DVD release yet?

Anabela

Yep.
The DVD will be released August, 1st. There will also be a special edition, with 2 discs.

artist

I still haven't seen this film.

goodbreakingbad

Yay, thank you for the info! I'm totally getting the 2 disc one.