Sin City

Went to a sneak preview of this movie today, and I was blown away. Over the years people have tried to emulate the feel of comics on the screen, and met with mild success(Dick Tracy), minor failure(Hulk), and solid success(Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow). This is hard to do, but Sin City hits this dead on. The film is entirely in black and white(Except for about 20 seconds that I noticed in one scene.), except for highlights of color(Gorgeous eyes, splattered blood, and red Converse All-Stars to name a few.). This gives the film a feel that immerses you into the storyline. Add to this the overly corny duologue and scenes where scantily(And I DO mean scantily) clad women pull Uzi's out of literally nowhere, and you have all the right makings for a transfer of a comic book to the screen. The duologue had me laughing almost constantly, but it's easy to tell that they wanted you to laugh, even when they lines were incredibly corny and melodramatic...

The performances in the movie were great as well. I believe my favorite male character was Marv, played by Micky Rourke, and my favorite female character was definitely Miho, played by Devon Aoki. It seems that everyone and their dog was either in this movie, or lent some of their talents to it, and it shows.

I would definitely suggest that you see this in the theatre the very first time, because it will NEVER have the same impact on your TV at home as it does on a 30-foot screen in a dark theatre. I was actually able to note a few times where the digital cameras were able to outperform anything film could do.

A lot of violence in this movie, although most of it is either totally cartoon-style, or off camera, and some gore as well... A good amount of nudity in the film, ALL of it on camera, so you'll probably want to leave the kiddies at home.

All in all, one of the best movies I have seen in a long time, and I'll probably go see it again while it's in the theatres, so that my fiancé can enjoy it as well...

Just watched the Advance Screening last night and I must say that this movie pulls all the punches in violence. It deserves its hard R rating in the first five minutes and doesn't let up until the end credits roll. It has it all - bullets, boobs and be-headings - beautifully set in a grim atmosphere that really keeps you on the edge of your seat. All cast performances were excellent - especially Mickey Rourke's "Marv" character. Fans of the comic will not be disappointed in this film adaption. This movie is definitely not for the squeamish or faint-of-heart.

Sin City grabs you by the nuts and doesn't let go! A must see!

Based on the graphic novels by Frank Miller (who also co-directed and wrote the screenplay) Sin City tells three stories of crime, corruption, and redemption set in the fictional town 'Basin City'. The first story details the quest of Marv (Mickey Rourke) who searches town for the man who murdered Goldie (Jamie King), the woman he believes to be his one true love. The second tells of Dwight (Clive Owen) who must cover up the death of a corrupt police officer (Benicio Del Toro) in order to avoid a war between the cops, and the girls of old town, led by Gail. (Rosiaro Dawson) The final story shows Hartigan, (Bruce Willis) a beat up retired cop framed for a crime he didn't commit, trying to save the life of a girl whose life he saved at a young age, who grew up to become a stripper, (Jessica Alba) while all the while being tracked by a mysterious stranger with a grotesque appearance. (Nick Stahl)

It's a churning vat of old fashioned pulp style stories, each one more dark and edgy then the last. And yet, Sin City itself is morbidly fascinating; if you don't mind delving through the haze of sleaze, violence and corruption you'll find a really compelling story underneath the hard exterior. Sin City exudes the essence of classic film noir, except combined with over-the-top violence, characters and dialogue to maintain that comic book feel. Giving co-director status to creator Frank Miller and allowing him to write the screenplay was perhaps the wisest move director Robert Rodriguez ever made, because Miller's gritty influence shines through, perfectly capturing the mood of his original creations.

And the visuals... extraordinary. The entire film is shot in black and white, except for certain items which appear in colour. (a red dress, red blood, although sometimes the blood is stark white, and not to mention Nick Stahl's character, Yellow Bastard, who is, indeed, yellow) Rodriguez is also smart enough to use a greenscreen backdrop, so as to recreate Miller's gritty, moody sets by computer animation instead of trying to create them first hand. And it works, wonderfully - the sets perfectly set the tone for the rest of the movie: dark, bold, over-the-top and quality work unlike any other. Add the characters' noirish costumes (almost every male character sports, as Marv puts it, a "damn fine coat") unique appearances, (it says a lot for the quality of the movie when a character like Yellow Bastard doesn't seem out of place) and movement (take note that if the movie was paused at any given point, the frame would look like a panel from a comic book) and Miller and Rodriguez perfectly nail the comic book feel.

It also helps that a wonderful cast has been assembled to bring life to the mayhem. Spot on performances abroad here, but the standouts in my opinion were Elijah Wood, who was truly chilling as Kevin, the silent, cannibalistic serial killer; Nick Stahl as Roarke Junior/Yellow Bastard, a truly creepy and disgusting character; Clive Owen, playing against type as Dwight; (who isn't exactly a sophisticated, British gentleman, but then again, no one in this film is) Mickey Rourke as Marv, managing to turn out a stunning performance, even with his face buried under several layers of latex; Benicio Del Toro almost unrecognizable as corrupt cop Jackie Boy and a welcome appearance from Michael Clarke Duncan as Manute, an enforcer specializing in inflicting pain. The hard edged ladies also do a great job, with Jessica Alba, Rosiaro Dawson, Carla Gugino, Jamie King and the rest all giving great performances.

It's all in the style of such films as Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill, so it may be wise to use those films as guidelines of what to expect in terms of content. It's true that Sin City is not for everyone: the violence is brutal and unflinching, most characters are disreputable, manipulative and sleazy, and the whole feel of the film is undesirable, and not too cheery. But if none of that deters you, Sin City should be known as a must see, for the superb visual stylistics if nothing else. But the style and feel of the comic books is perfectly captured and thrust into our faces. Frank Miller must be proud.

-10/10

In Sin City nobody is innocent, not even the Bishop, and they are going to pay for that.

The movie is based, both the story and aesthetics, in the noir comic by Frank Miller, who is also co-director of the film,together with Robert Rodriguez; Quentin Tarantino was invited to direct one of the scenes. The movie intertwines four different stories, whose characters will cross paths at certain point: The Customer Is Always Right, The Hard Goodbye, The Big Fat Kill, and That Yellow Bastard The movie is visually stunning and stylish. It looks and feels like a real noir comic, with camera framing and positioning typical of comic vignettes, as well as the use of high contrast B&W and chiaroscuro. The movie has wonderful black, white and sepia tones with cutout reds and bright colors, a technique widely used in Photography and drawing, but never used in movies before. The movie was completely shot using green backgrounds.

The movie is heart-attack paced, with no a moment of dullness or rest. However, is not for the heart faint, as it is extremely violent and gory, very hard to watch sometimes. The fact that those being punished deserve it, does not make the violence easier to swallow.

The characters are never dull, very human - never good or bad, but both things. Moreover, they are at very melancholic types, funny and merciless.

The movie delights the viewer with terrific performances by a large group of A-listed actors. However, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, Benicio Del Toro, Clive Owen and Rosario Dawson really shine through. Jessica Alba and Elija Wood, who are usually a bore, are terrific in their respective roles, too.

The best comic adaptation I have ever seen.

Entertainment and quality together. Brilliant

A film that explores the dark and miserable town, Basin City, and tells the story of three different people, all caught up in violent corruption.

Although the use of digital filming and CGI is very contentious, Robert Rodriguez found a way to make it work to his advantage in a way that may not have been possible with traditional film. The way the black and white brings the noir to life, blending smoothly with the rare other colors... it is the only way to bring a comic book to life. (A similar style is in "The Spirit", which does not get nearly the respect it deserves.)

This casting is incredible, as it is varied and really brought the best performances out of Alexis Bledel, Rosario Dawson and Jessica Alba that their careers ever had. Mickey Rourke was re-invented, and this may have been one of the last great Bruce Willis roles. Such a powerful film.