Absolutely Stunning

Rating: 10/10 (1 April 2005)

"Walk down the right back alley in Sin City, and you can find anything", and isn't that the truth. Sin City has everything a movie goer could want in a film. It has an amazing cast that portray their gritty characters with a distinctful hard edge and compassion, which is helped with a fantastic script. The movie is driven by the actors and their ability to make the audience feel as if though they are in the characters shoes as they describe with vivid details their emotions and conflicts, and the steps they mean to take to make things right.
But it's not only a script or a great cast that makes this new tale of love and revenge come full circle, it's the images. Each scene is painted or drawn just like the pages right out of Miller's comic book that the film is based off of. The black and white makes the mood feel more dark and desolate (as it should be) making the city feel more alive. With it's splashes of color, one can only vast in it's brilliance. The visuals to this movie are unlike any I have seen and they should be recognized.
The movie follows three stories that are interwoven by the characters passions and ambitions. They live in a city of power and murder and they seek what little honor or dignity they can find in such a dark place. The film open up with a sequence with Josh Hartnett and a beautiful women glowing with a red dress and rich red lips. Hartnett's narration of his thoughts are crucial and set the tone. He explains to this woman who is on the run that he is there for her, and that it's not her figure or face, but her eyes that attract her. Her holds a lighter near her cigarette and the flame fades her eyes to green, so that we may see the beauty. He tells he loves her and there's a whisper of the gun. Sin City in a nutshell.
Mickey Rourke play Marv, a large man with a beastly looking face and temper to match. he falls in love with a woman who treats him kindly, but she is murdered and he is framed for it. Marv's quest and story in the film is to find the truth behind the murder and set things straight. Rourke does an excellent job in this movie, which was surprising to me. He brings life to a man that lives to get his answers by violently interrogating men and viciously murdering them. He does this by constantly reminding himself why he does what he does, for the woman that treated him nice.
Clive Owen plays Dwight, who gets caught up in a kill that could shake a truce that keeps young women alive. His story is a little more shallow than the others, but the element that keeps it true is his willingness to see that none of the girls are hurt.
Then there is Bruce Willis, who play Hartigan, the one honest man in the whole city. He rescues a young girl, Nancy, from the harm an lunatic pedophile (Nick Stahl). But Stahl's character is connected. His father (Powers Boothe) is a Senator and takes his anger of what Hartigan left his son out on him, by making Hartigan look responsible for kidnapping all the children his son did. Hartigan spends eight years in prison, helpless to keep Nancy safe, for it becomes his only will. When he gets out, he knows what he must do and knows that whatever it is, it must keep Nancy (Jessica Alba) safe.
Sin City is one of the best movies of the year so far. It goes beyond the expectations of any mere action film and does it well. With a great story, strong cast, and amazing visuals, it will be easy to see why this film is absolutely stunning.
Four out of four stars.