Very well thought out movie

Rating: 10/10 (2 July 2005)

Sin City is a rather strange movie, you start watching it and whilst doing so you seem to think it isn't up to much, then a little piece comes along and you think to yourself I'd better watch a little bit more.
When the end comes it hits you just how good a movie it is. I have to admit until this film was released I hadn't heard of Frank Miller. I hear that he has two Sin City sequels planned, if they are as good as Sin City 1 I can't wait.
The characters lives are all intertwined so that the way in which the story comes to life is fantastic. Quentin Tarantino having a role in its making as special guest director does not surprise me. I'd like to know how much of an influence he had with Miller as it seemed to me that you could see his direction and mannerisms in every part of the movie.
The primary character is Marv (Mickey Rourke), for some reason this guy does not know when to give up; this is one of his traits in the movie that endears you to him. He's a typical bad looking guy with a big heart who deals with his enemies with equally big fists. He also seems to have a penchant for jackets.
From what I can make out the secondary and tertiary characters are Police Detective Hartigan (Bruce Willis) and Dwight (Clive Owen), Willis is typical Willis and did not do anything for me. Clive Owen on the other hand with his menacingly calm way of dealing with people in the movie again was a treat.
Jessica Alba is given billing ahead of Clive Owen in the credits however I can't think why given her short but without exception, excellent appearance.
From start to finish the action grabs you, that it is mainly shot in black and white certainly added to my enjoyment of the movie. Elijah Wood plays a character called Kevin, his purpose in the movie is quite strange, he seems to be a kind of hybrid apathetic killing machine, I never did quite find out what he was, human, robot, whatever? The late Rutger Hauer has a small but central part in the story as Cardinal Roark, the family of this name seems to run everything in Sin City and its environs. There are many other first rate actors, too many to mention.
It's one of those movies that don't look much until you've watched it, having watched it many times since I would definitely recommend it.