Sin City - Movie

Murder, betrayal, prostitution and corruption. Sin City has it all and a lot more.

I've been hearing many great things about the graphic novels of the same name which I haven't had a chance to read yet. I was quite happy to hear that a movie based on it was being released.

Sin City is a very intruiguing movie from the very beginning. It is presented using 3 different stories, broken into 4 parts. These at first seem to be apart from eachother, but parts of each story start to intertwine with one another. This happens more and more as the film progresses. Would it surprise you that Quentin Tarantino had a hand in this movie after hearing that.

Although this sounds like another Pulp Fiction, it is far from that. This movie has a more film noir feel to it, almost like a very violent Humphrey Bogart movie, with the cool lines to match. Shooting the film in black and white helped to add the "classic" feel to this movie that was needed to pull it off. There are dashes of red and yellow thrown in around dramatic moments, as it was done in the comics.

In a very strange way, the 3 directors involved in this film: Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller and Quentin Tarantino (as a guest director) were able to transfer the feel of a comic book onto the big screen. The most obvious technique, besides the character presentation, was in the car chases and the way the cars move. You will know what I mean if you see this movie, it seems very strange at first, but it works so well. Having the story's creator on hand to have a direct say in how it should be presented doesn't hurt either.

Pros: The cast! Could they have chosen a better bunch of actors? Watch Mickey Rourke's efforts in this film, he is brilliant. All exceptional choices besides Brittany Murphy, who could have done a better job. She did improve slightly after her first line in the film, I'll give her that. The cinematography was fantastic with the cameras were always in the right spot, framing each moment prefectly. Dialogue was another thing that I found almost flawless, complemented by the clever narration with its black humour.

Cons: After seeing this movie, I want to read the graphic novels and then see the movie again. All time and money. Not really a downside, but hey.

This is a very violent film, but it is partially disguised by being shot in black and white. However, you will still cringe at many points throughout. If you are a bit squeamish, you have been warned. Don't be swayed by this too much, it is a brilliant story that could not have been presented any better. Once again, Rodgriguez proves to be very stylish and extremely talented. Together with Frank Miller, I think they have produced exactly what they set out to achieve.

Sin City has plenty of style and the substance to match. This is the pinnacle of film noir.

Overall 4.9 / 5