V for Vendetta and The Inside Man -- The First Two Noteworthy Films of 2006

V for Vendetta, the film adaptation of the graphic novel, is bold, audacious entertainment that some might suggest is for such a time as this. Although the film contains many of the qualities of other movies about superheroes, it is undeniably distinctive for the liberative force with which it conveys its themes. Set in a futuristic London, the film tells the story of a masked man who seeks vengeance on corrupt British government officials whom he holds responsible for his suffering and for what he believes are some of the greatest evils of society. The Wachowski Brothers, who wrote and directed the ultra-popular Matrix franchise, wrote the screenplay to the film. Their Matrix films were based on left-leaning scholar Cornel West’s celebrated work Prophesy Deliverance! so the intelligence and sociopolitical philosophy that undergird this film should come as no surprise.

V is a lonely hero who enters the life of a young woman named Evey, portrayed by Natalie Portman. He rescues her from a group of thugs one night and humorously introduces himself by speaking a series of sentences that give new meaning to the art of alliteration. As the two grow closer, she wonders who the mysterious masked man is, and he remains intent on making the highest-ranking government officials pay for the pain they’ve caused him and others.

V for Vendetta is reminiscent of a number of memorable films, but the film is uniquely relevant because its central character is a terrorist. V commits crimes against the elite members of British government and a series of destructive actions against the symbolic and physical structures of what appears to be an imperialist regime at the helm. Despite the film’s futuristic setting, it is sure to provoke discussion about how close the behavior of the fictitious British government depicted in the film parallels those involving the current U.S. government.

A deliberate detective, competently portrayed by Stephen Rea, is hot on V’s trail. The audience can see Rea’s character questioning the extremism of the government in charge while feeling compelled to carry out the law. He’s in search of a criminal whose heinous acts may or may not be worse than the government he serves with apprehension.

The film is aided greatly by equally solid performances from Victor Hugo, Natalie Portman, Stephen Fry, and John Hurt. Hugo Weaving as V allows the audience to feel V’s pain and anger while never giving us the sense that his character has lost control of his emotions or his calculations. Portman displays Evey’s vulnerability and strength to good effect throughout the film. Evey is befriended by a David Letterman-type late night talk show host, effectively portrayed by the underrated and underused Stephen Fry. Fry exhibits the loneliness and quiet fear of a closeted homosexual who knows that he could lose his celebrity status and possibly his life if the totalitarian regime discovers the truth about him. John Hurt portrays Chancellor Sutler, the top government official who exudes evil as he espouses alarmingly Orwellian ideals.

The politically-charged thriller is not without its problems. Although the scene containing the first encounter between Evey and V is Superman-meets-Lois Lane-type fun, the film has a surprisingly dark tone throughout. Moments of humor are few and far between. While nearly always engrossing, the script suffers from a major bit of contrivance that changes the relationship between Evey and V for the final third of the film, and the plot point is not altogether convincing. And like most films of this type, the politics are a bit heavy-handed at times.

Conservative radio and television talk show hosts across the country rushed to blast the film as being one more example of how liberal Hollywood types are out of touch with mainstream America. Yet I would contend that the film is well acted, generally well-conceived, and one of the better films to be released early this year. The controversy surrounding the film is one of the best benefits of American cinema. The film is a work of art that some might say is a reflection of the very culture in which we live. V for Vendetta undoubtedly challenges the audience to consider the conditions and institutional and sociopolitical forces that might provoke such heinous terrorist acts. It is a film only a progressive could have made, but its relevance can hardly be denied by anyone from either side of the political aisles.

Grade: B

The Inside Man is a cleverly plotted and well-acted thriller that represents a return to form for director Spike Lee. The bank robbery saga features a first-rate cast that includes Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, and Jodie Foster. The film is a departure for Lee, a last-minute substitution for the studio’s original director. Despite his late arrival to the project, Lee uses the camera exceptionally well and elicits compelling performances from the best cast-film in 2006 (including Lucky Number Slevin). Rebounding from critical and commercial disasters that have plagued him in recent years, The Inside Man is Lee’s most focused work along with Do theRight Thing, Malcolm X, Get on the Bus, and 25th Hour.

The top-notch cast portrays characters with secret agendas. Clive Owen portrays Dalton Russell, a leader of a coed group of bank robbers. Denzel Washington is Detective Keith Frazier, who is assigned to the case. Jodie Foster is Madeline White, a political insider who works for the mayor and Arthur Case, the owner of the bank that is being robbed. Others include the instantly believable Christopher Plummer as Case, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Frazier’s partner, and Willem Dafoe as the SWAT team leader biding his time to assert his influence when he can.

The screenplay by first-time writer Russell Gerwitz gives attention to each of the main characters. They are all flawed individuals or shall we say “ethically challenged” from Frazier’s suspected misappropriation of money to Madeline’s devious dealings with city officials to Case’s accumulation of obscene wealth at the expense of persecuted Jews during WWII.

There are a number of twists to the story. Some are easy to predict, while other plot developments are a bit harder to foresee, although none of them are completely implausible. Gerwitz’s characters are smart and calculating, weighing a variety of options before settling on a plan.

Washington and Owen, two of today’s most charismatic actors, have a number of entertaining verbal exchanges as their characters match wits via the telephone. Washington’s Frazier is bent on convincing Owen’s Russell to release the bank hostages safely while Russell strives to outfox the police. These earlier exchanges interspersed with flashbacks of interviews with the hostages give the audience the impression that the film is headed for a by-the-numbers finale. But the first face-to-face encounter between Owen and Washington alters the course of the film and the clever plot developments ensue.

Jodie Foster’s Madeline White is a woman of mystery with powerful political connections that lead her to engaging encounters with Russell, Frasier, and Arthur Case. Cast against type, Foster conveys the intelligence and confidence that one imagines a woman in her position must have. Her Madeline White is a nifty blend of Annette Bening in The Grifters and Candace Bergen in ABC’s Boston Legal. Her character holds her own and then some against three commanding albeit very different men.

Although the film will entertain a broad demographic, the film feels a tad long at its 129-minute running time. The middle of the film sags just a bit. There may be one too many flashbacks of interviews. The film’s conclusion certainly could have been tightened, and not every thread of every storyline must be resolved to its utmost completion.

Still The Inside Man is a memorable heist caper with star power that delivers. Let it be said here that this mid to-high-brow break-from-convention film is the coming out party for new writer Russell Gerwitz and reestablishes Spike Lee as a major artistic force in American cinema.

Grade: B+

News and Notes

Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., and Chloe Sevigny are set to star in David Fincher’s Zodiac, a thriller about the San Francisco serial killer from the 1970s. The film is set to be released later this year.

Crash: The Director’s Cut has just been released in stores. The special edition of the Oscar winner’s DVD features eight deleted scenes and special commentary from writer and director Paul Haggis, co-writer Bobby Moresco, and star and producer Don Cheadle.

Oscar winner Sofia Coppola is writing and directing Marie Antoinette, the biopic starring Kirsten Dunst and Jason Schwartzman. The film is set to be released this fall.

Superman Returns will include scenes from the original Superman movie featuring Marlon Brando. The summer blockbuster hopeful is directed by Bryan Singer, who vacated his X-Men directorial duties in favor of the anticipated remake.

Friends with Money, the new dramedy starring Jennifer Aniston, Joan Cusack, Frances McDormand, and Catherine Keener, opened to positive reviews. The Sundance Film Festival favorite is now playing in New York City and Los Angeles.