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Back Shelf Beauties
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Sin City Sin City is the first film of 2005 to get me extremely excited (get your mind out of the gutter), might be the true successor to Pulp Fiction (including a memorable scene between Benicio Del Toro and Clive Owen directed by Quentin Tarantino), and it's the first contender for my favorite movie of 2005. Ultimately, any movie that makes Brittany Murphy palatable must be amazing (for those of you unfamiliar with my belief Murphy is the most revolting lead actress in Hollywood, check out Little Black Book). Sin City is three separate tales, all of which take place in the back alleys and dark corners of a town full of vice, crooked cops, corrupt politicians and shady characters. One tale focuses on honest cop John Hartigan (Bruce Willis) as he attempts to save a young girl from a powerful, well connected pervert who has kidnapped her for very bad reasons. Another follows Marv (Mickey "I thought he was dead" Rourke) - a low class muscleman framed for murder when he brings home a hooker who ends up dead in his bed. The third story tracks Dwight (Clive Owen) as he ends up in a tussle with Jackie Boy (Benicio Del Toro) that threatens a flimsy truce between Sin City's most powerful crime lords, low life pimps, corrupt cops and ladies of the evening. Who in Sin City will live to the next day? Who can be trusted? Who can be a hero? Every aspect of Sin City is among the best in Hollywood from acting to directing to special effects to writing. It all starts with the world of Sin City - a black and white film noir look intermittently shattered with stunning primary colors used by writer/director Robert Rodriguez to highlight the most important feature of a scene, whether it be the ruby red blood of man who has been shot, the captivating blue eyes of a gorgeous woman (I promise to watch Gilmore Girls just to see Alexis Bledel's electric blue eyes again and again and again), or one character's yellow complexion. Sin City, based on the graphic novels by Frank Miller (who receives a co-director credit on the film since he was on set and worked closely with Rodriguez to make the movie), is a comic book come to life where police cars fly over hills during the chase, a man who has been punched flies across a room and jackets flow like capes behind characters who glide through the air. A movie has never quite looked like this, and Rodriguez brilliantly draws us into this world as if it existed outside the theater's doors because the look, complete with shadows and city skylines, is breathtaking. Luckily, the story, dialogue and acting are just as good. Rodriguez has delivered a wonderful script full of descriptive, hard boiled, brutal dialogue taken directly from Miller's work. Exchanges between the characters are full of wildly colorful words and stylized phrases all derived from the classic pulp and film noir genre, complete with its distinct rhythmic patter. You learn everything you need to know about a character from his or her own internal monologue or the memorable way others describe them. We aren't talking about basic stuff like height and weight, but full psychological profiles complete with detailed histories emerge as the movie unfolds before us. Additionally, you will be amazed at the sacrifices characters are willing to make and the way each hero has some sort of "defect" whether it be mental, emotional or physical. Finally, each actor delivers stunning portrayals of their character and executes the dialogue in amazing fashion. Sin City is a perfect vehicle for Willis, and he puts forth a great job bringing Hartigan to life in a way we understand his honor and strength, but my biggest amazement and wonder is saved for Rourke. He makes Marv into an animal who constantly seeks to satisfy his physical needs and strange love of violence. As he attempts to find the person or people responsible for his lover's death, Rourke makes us believe Marv is in his element punishing those who get in his way, taking pleasure in punching out cops and finding true satisfaction when he makes the pursuit as bloody and violent as anything you have seen or imagined, while Owen gives Dwight a unique mixture of reluctance and sense of duty as he tries to help his friends. Supporting characters are just as amazing especially Elijah Wood as Kevin - a brutal assassin who looks like Harry Potter gone mad; Rosario Dawson as Gail - leader of Sin City's independent prostitutes who handle all matters internally and with swift justice; Del Toro as Jackie Boy - the abusive boyfriend who is always looking for trouble; and Jessica Alba as Nancy - an angel who has become an exotic dancer in Sin City's sleaziest saloon. All of them understand what makes their character tick, including strengths and weaknesses. Sin City is not for everyone. Be warned, it is an uber-violent film with a sarcastic attitude towards actions and situations we would find offensive in the real world, but, in a movie, it's brilliant. 4 Waffles (Out Of 4) Copyright 2005 - WaffleMovies.com
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