An excellent film that is also a work of art

Rating: 8/10 (5 March 2015)

Prior to watching Sin City, I was sceptical as to how successful it would be. My reservations were mainly based on the fact that, from what I had read, the film seemed extremely ambitious, and often such films fall flat and disappoint thanks to an inability to live up to their stellar expectations. Sin City however, does not fall into this category. If anything, it surpassed both its own ambitions and my expectations.
Firstly, the acting was fantastic, the personal favourites of mine being Mickey Rourke, Carla Gugino and Bruce Willis. They all brought different elements to the table, but all displayed an incredible capacity for playing empathetic and emotionally complex characters alongside the more light-hearted art-house sequences.
However, the most impressive element of Sin City has to be the cinematography and artistic direction. Being a fan of graphic novels, the way that Frank Miller managed to translate a comic onto the big screen whilst losing almost none of the raw aesthetic and intense beauty of the original genuinely astounded me. The film maintains the typical graphic novel elements such as overriding themes of justice and conflict alongside dry humour and spectacular set pieces to create a unique cinematic experience.
Not simply appealing for those who enjoy graphic novels, Sin City is a visually stunning and altogether magnificent film.