Natey & Katy: At the Movies
Natey & Katy are two friends who love movies and love talking about them. Join them on their cinematic journey!
Natey & Katy: At the Movies
Masked Revolutionaries and Poetic Rebellion
Can a masked vigilante inspire a revolution? Find out as we dissect the 2005 dystopian thriller "V for Vendetta" in our latest episode. This discussion takes on special significance as Katy dedicates it to her late friend Greg, a fervent admirer of the film. We cover the intricate relationship between V, portrayed by Hugo Weaving, and Evey, brought to life by Natalie Portman. From thought-provoking themes of anarchy and resistance to the poetic and memorable dialogue, we unpack what makes this film resonate, even as V’s true face remains hidden.
After giving our honest ratings and critiques, including a mutual score of four out of six, we explore the movie's chaotic plot and some frustrating character developments while appreciating the powerful performances and well-executed action scenes. We also touch on the distinctive Wachowski flair that echoes their work in "The Matrix." Don't miss our teaser for next week's episode where we dive into the suspenseful world of Hitchcock's "Dial M for Murder." And of course, Katy wraps up with a heartfelt nod to that unforgettable line: "Remember, remember the 5th of November".
Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new episode of Nadie and Katie at the Movies. I'm your host, nathan aka Nadie, of course, and with me on today's episode is my good friend Katie. Hi, katie, how are you?
Speaker 2:Oh, I'm doing well, thanks actually. Yes, I am doing fantastic, just happy to be here.
Speaker 1:Well, that's good, because you know the movie we're talking about today. A lot of people just wouldn't be happy to talk about anything.
Speaker 2:Well, I have the freedom and ability to talk about it because I don't live in the place that the movie lived in. Terrible dystopia movie that we're going to be talking about today, which is v for vendetta, the 2005 sci-fi comic book based movie.
Speaker 1:Is it really sci-fi kind of sort of? I mean future future? You know, future is scientific, I don't know, but yeah it kind of before we talk about v for vendetta, I gotta go over the synopsis.
Speaker 1:In a future british dystopian society, a shadowy freedom fighter known only by the alias of v plots to overthrow the tyrannical government with the help of a young woman. V for vendetta stars hugoaving Natalie Portman, rupert Graves and Stephen Ray. Wait, what I don't understand? Why IMDb does not mention the main bad guy, john Hurt? I mean, come on, why wouldn't you mention John Hurt as the list of people Fever Vendetta? I don't know Anyway.
Speaker 2:So listen that's enough of that voice.
Speaker 1:Can I talk now? Do I have the freedom to speak?
Speaker 2:Not like, not in a British accent, you don't.
Speaker 1:I'm not doing it anymore, so let's, let's move on. Katie, have you ever seen v for vendetta before?
Speaker 2:yes, I have, but it was a while ago so I had to re-watch it for sure and I wanted. I wanted to give a little shout out, um, or dedicate this episode to my dear friend. He was like one of my best friends in high school, greg Irwin. So unfortunately he has moved on.
Speaker 2:He passed away probably over 10 years ago now, but I miss you, greg, and this was one of his favorite movies and he was definitely very different than me, like he had gauges and all tatted up and he was very artsy. And he was definitely very different than me, like he had gauges and all tatted up and he was very artsy and he had long hair and he would listen to screamo death metal music and I was this like preppy blonde girl and we were best friends and we were just I loved, I loved every minute but for whatever reason, he never convinced me to watch this and so I didn't understand like the love. And I think now, watching it a second time, like in adulthood, I could see it like it fits with his vibe and also I I definitely liked this movie the second time around. It takes maybe one or two views to catch it all.
Speaker 1:I think, um, had you seen it before I don't think I had seen it all the way through. When we talked about that we were going to watch this, I kind of like summarized like little bits and pieces of what I remembered, like, obviously hugo weaving plays the character in a mask who's like an anti-hero. Natalie portman plays his kind of girlfriend who gets her head shaved. I was watching this basically with brand new eyes to watch this, because I don't think I had watched it all the way through before and before. I share all my thoughts, since this is something that you are more familiar with. So what are some things that you liked about this movie?
Speaker 2:Again, I think, the second time around maybe, or watching it as an older adult. Like you know, my friend Greg was very mature for his age. That would have flown right past me. I would have been like what it's? Definitely it's an indictment on some you, the 5th of November, which is a very famous quote in Britain. But the whole idea it's kind of anarchy, I think, is if you had to give the bottom line, and so anarchy didn't make sense to me at that young age, nor does it totally make sense to me now. But I could see what this movie is about, which is questioning authority in some ways. You know, questioning and should things be the way they are? And this guy kind of cubs in. So in terms of things I liked, I really liked the dynamic between our main two characters.
Speaker 2:Now, portman and you know our guy, um, what's his name in the just v, sorry, he at one. When he first introduces himself, he says this long paragraph and everything is like has a v, it's hysterical. Um, he always speaks in like poetic terms and everything he's saying is like some kind of quote um from a poem of old. I loved his character and I loved how you never saw him out of a mask. I think that's probably one of my really big highlights.
Speaker 2:You could have had these two kiss in the end and you know his face was severely messed up. I won't say how, but you're like I was just picturing at the end, you know she like lifts the mask and she's like I don't care what you look like, and like Beauty and the Beast moment. But no, like I appreciated how this ended. You never see what he looks like under the mask. And Nellieie Portman, it's like a weirdly beautiful scene when she kisses the mask and I kind of I don't know, I was like this is weirdly intimate because you just kind of get used to that big his face the way they described what happened to him.
Speaker 1:I'm like I hope they don't show his face, that that would have been disturbing, weird and gross.
Speaker 2:Yeah, especially if they did this without the right, what so? So obviously I'm assuming you know the acting has to be good. You're under a mask, so a lot of that is voice acting. Um, what did you think of his performance? And then natalie was still a little bit younger at this point. She'd only done maybe like the star wars stuff. What did you think of his performance? And then Natalie was still a little bit younger at this point. She'd only done maybe like the Star Wars stuff. What did you think of their performances?
Speaker 1:The acting was fine. Actually, it was written by the same people who did the Matrix. I don't know if you knew that the adaptation was written by the Wachowski. I could see that vibe.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I could see that vibe for sure.
Speaker 1:So the action scenes were pretty cool, like it's a comic based movie, so I'm assuming he's supposed to be anti-hero in the comics. I'm not really a comic book reader and I've never really heard of this character in comics before, so the action was pretty good. The performances were pretty good. I don't know if it's a movie that I would have been like. Yeah, I want to. I want to watch that, that's. That sounds like a good one because, yes, it's about the government. Yes, it's about overthrowing the government. I'm assuming this is just based on what's said in the movie. I'm assuming the government is leans more on the conservative side, especially the things that they talk about getting rid of Muslims, getting rid of homosexuals, getting rid of terrorists and all I mean. I would hope everyone would want to get rid of terrorists, but you know those those two people groups in particular were talked about in this movie. Two people groups in particular were talked about in this movie, but I understand why it's in there in the context of what the storyline's talking about.
Speaker 2:Yeah, see, okay, that's a. You bring up a good point. So, yes, there's and and looking back, they had some gay intimate scenes kind of. And thinking back, this was 2016 like, or sorry, 2006, like I was not really expecting something of that nature this far back, but this felt like it belonged there, like I think it really actually goes to make your point. All these other scenes where you know they try to kind of push the LGBTQ topic, it feels very shoved in, whereas this it almost it did make sense, like it's very that in, whereas this it almost it did make sense, like it's very. That's how life plays out, like there are many, many cultures around the world that you're like contended to death for that. So for me it was. It was actually the first time I felt like, okay, this is a place where that could belong in a movie and be done better and but yeah, I was kind of shocked, I didn't think it would, it wouldn't be this whole long story. But yeah, to your point, it's definitely an authoritarian government. That is, our rules are the highway which leads to my.
Speaker 2:It's not a critique of the Setup of the, it's more of a critique of, I guess the storyline of the movie, that the movie, that the movie ends in basically anarchy, and so I don't know that that's the better solution than total control is to have no one in charge. I mean, you look at all the times we've come into a country and wiped out the bad guys. Well, now there's just a vacuum, and that vacuum creates just probably an equal amount of chaos. Um, so you don't get any closure. This movie ends, and there's not, like here's the good guys that take over. It is going to be absolute and utter chaos. I can't. I mean like, just right, nathan, like do you picture, oh, two days after all, this stuff happens in the movie, like who's in charge? What's happening?
Speaker 1:I don't know if they were planning a sequel, like if they were trying to figure out if someone was going to take up his mantle and continue his work or anything like that. It does end kind of like okay, I guess that's it, and I guess if you want to know more, you got to go read the comics and read more of the stories. It's just a very open ended bleak, because here's the thing you can disagree with the government. That's why he's an anti-hero, because he he's doing something that I guess technically, yes, is good for the people, but he's literally killing other people, and so it's kind of hard. It's kind of hard to root for him and it's kind of hard to root for natalie portman's character.
Speaker 2:but those are the characters that you're supposed to quote unquote be rooting for it's very complex, which again I think why my my friend greg liked it so much. It's not easy and he he probably would have leaned more towards it or an anti-hero type um person, but he also loved the lion king very much. Yeah, I feel like natalie portman's character. You're, you're feeling sorry for she's you said girlfriend, and I'm like well also, she's like trapped, like he there's I don't want to reveal any of the secrets, but like there's there's just v saves her and then I guess he feels like she's now his property because of that and he just basically somewhat tortures her and controls her and tries to make her essentially like a disciple of him and then I guess that turns her on and she likes him.
Speaker 2:I don't know. But without spoiling anything else, I can't get into it. The music was great. If I appreciated more, like older literature, I'm sure I would have been like oh, I love all this, these references that he's making. What did you think about his costume in general? I guess that's part of the comic, but it's like long black wig. He looks like the bad guy in Shrek.
Speaker 1:I didn't think about that. Yeah, I mean I guess they're just going for the comic book. Look, Like I said I've never read the comics, I didn't know this was a comic book character. I'm assuming they were going comic book accuracy, which sometimes is a good thing to do because you know you're trying to pay homage to the material and you're also trying to please the fans. But I don't know if this is a character that a lot of people know, and so I mean, yeah, but to go back to what you asked, the, I mean, the costume was fine, it didn't distract me.
Speaker 2:I think it's appropriately creepy. Like I like the idea. There's a point in the movie where he's getting all his masks and he's giving them out to people. So now everyone's wearing one of those masks, you know, know. So it's like even more chaos. I think that's the whole thing. He's fighting against this tyranny with anarchy and with absolute, utter chaos. So it is sort of it's definitely anti-hero vibes, but I like that. That mask can kind of now in our real world, like represent something in a way like I don't agree with anarchy, but it has almost become a symbol, like if I saw someone with that a mask of that on their shirt or like hanging in their car window, I would be like okay that kind of gives me an idea of how you feel so I guess the real question now is is the joker an anti-hero?
Speaker 1:because he's kind of the same, I think yeah, that is a great comparison.
Speaker 2:I really do feel like the Joker is spot on. He is basically the Joker creating chaos and has a sad backstory and trying to get. He has a vendetta against everybody. I mean, that's the name of the movie.
Speaker 1:I think that's it. I think that's all of our thoughts on beaver vendetta. It's been a fun one and, like you said, in memory of your of your friend greg he made fun of me a lot.
Speaker 2:He'd probably be laughing at me being like you missed it. You missed everything. It's probably just cracking up like you don't understand the greatness of this movie. I'm sorry, greg, it's not my type. It's not my type, I have to admit.
Speaker 1:Well then, let's go ahead and rate this thing. Katie, what would you give V for Vendetta for rating?
Speaker 2:Because, yeah, just too much chaos. I'm going to go ahead and give it a four because I was entertained and again, that's usually my main thing I was entertained. I will give it that.
Speaker 1:I'm also gonna give it a four because I felt like Natalie Portman's character when she finds out what she finds out towards the end of the movie I got really frustrated with the main character. I'm like what the poop do. But overall of the movie I got really frustrated with the main character. I'm like what the poop do. But overall, yes, the movie is entertaining. The performances are good, the action scenes are pretty well done and it is written by the Wachowskis so it's got that Matrix feel, especially during the fight scenes. So that is V for Vendetta. We'll move it on in the month of july. Here is a little sneak ear peek of what we're going to be talking about next week.
Speaker 3:Take a listen aren't you forgetting something, am I? You've told me quite a lot tonight. What of it? Suppose I tell them how you followed her to that studio in chelsea and watch them cooking spaghetti and all that rubbish. Wouldn't that ring a bell? Oh, it certainly would. They'd assume you followed her there yourself me. Why should I? Why should you steal her handbag? Why should you write her all those blackmail notes? Can you prove you didn't? You certainly can't prove I did. It'll be a straight case of your word against mine taking on another classic hitchcock film.
Speaker 1:That's right, we're talking about dial m for murder, and when I say this is classic hitchcock, it's classic hitchcock, katie, and I have already watched it and I can't wait to talk about it.
Speaker 2:I'm noticing a pattern, nathan. Is it just depressing?
Speaker 1:dark movies are what people on IMDb like, because it feels like there's a pattern it does feel like there's a pattern, but I'm sure that down the road, once again, we'll talk about happier times. But until that, katie, katie, do you have anything you'd like to end this episode?
Speaker 2:with Remember, remember the 5th of November gunpowder, treason and plot. I see no reason why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.
