Category: Movies

Robert Downey, Jr., to play Iron Man. Filming begins in February.

Marvel’s president of productions, Kevin Feige, said Downey Jr’s “versatility… makes him an ideal fit to play such a complex character”. […] The 41-year-old’s widely reported drug problems led to prison, rehabilitation and probation in the 1990s.

(via BD)

Finally watched a borrowed DVD of V for Vendetta, based on the Alan Moore graphic novel of that name, and was glad I did.

The movie, especially for the first two-thirds to three-quarters, parallels the book pretty well. There are some changes and updates (it’s been a couple of decades, after all), but there’s not much there to complain about as a “purist” — especially if one must assume a need to simplify the typically Alan Moore convoluted and baroque plot. The fundamentals — a fascist take-over of a scared British population, coupled with tyranny and racial/ethnic/gay cleansing (and worse) is all lifted in huge chunks from the
book.

The movie and book diverge most significantly in the last bit — the climax of the film. Again, this is is almost inevitable — the original’s paean to anarchy (in a purist sense), not to mention the destruction of various party members in a way that resembles Shakespeare on acid, would have been nearly unfilmable and certainly unmarketable.The alternative taken — a bloody coup coupled with “People Power” marches (in Guy Fawlkes gear) — rings a more than a bit conventional and facile, though. Moore’s decision
to take his name off the movie is perfectly understandable, if still a bit melodramatic (he had a lot more to complain about with the adaptation of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen).

Beyond that, there’s a lot less about the supporting players — much of the middle of the book is gone, or greatly elided. The corrupt in-fighting at the top is diminished (sadly); the whole “Fate computer” bit is gone (mercifully). (Okay, anyone else think it was pleasantly ironic that John Hurt, who played Winston Smith in a relatively recent 1984 (which was characterized by a giant “V” logo) is now playing the “Big Brother” analog in another British dystopia (with a giant “V” logo)?)

The movie is beautiful in both vision and action — not as unremittingly gray and depressing as the book (or as one might expect from the book), but still a delight to watch. It feels almost comic-booky at the beginning, as V first goes into action, and that gets slightly echoed toward the end, in the Big Obligatory Knife-vs.-Gun Fight Matrix Homage. Still, I was ultimately able to forgive that, in light of the other fun stuff on the screen.

The acting is quite decent. Natalie Portman shows that she can, in deed, act. Hugo Weaving manages to play V effectively tragi-comic without ever showing his face. John Hurt chews up the scenery. Stephen Fry pulls together a couple of the roles effectively (despite their being written a bit heavy-handedly). Stephen Rea’s Inspector Finch effectively adapts the “insider who’s learning uncomfortable stuff” (though without the LSD) role nicely. Everyone does their job without any obvious weaknesses that can’t be
attributed to the adaptation.

So, how was the movie? Entertaining. Fun to watch. Not nearly as profound as Moore would have had it (nor as written), but also a lot more accessible and, ultimately, coherent. It fails to rise to greatness, not because of its turning away from Moore so much as because neither book nor movie have a decent third act, with Moore going all anarcho-Shakespearean and the Wachowski Bros. going all Matrixy action flick and cheap populism. But, failing to reach greatness, it’s still a worthwhile movie to watch, with
plenty of eye candy and with some messages (some of them even decently rendered) that deserve listening to.