Sin City

Rating: 8/10 (7 December 2005)

Sin City
"Walk down the right back alley in Sin City and you can find anything,"-including one of the best movies of the year. Few comic book movies have looked as good as Frank Miller's Sin City. This film brings a comic book to life in ways that we haven't yet seen in cinema. From the unbelievable imagery that fills each and every scene of this movie, to the actors who brought each character to life, and the three intertwining story lines that keep us on the edge of our seats, Frank Miller's Sin City is a movie experience you don't want to miss and may never experience again.
This film is brought to life on screen with three of the original Sin City comic book stories. The three main story lines concern Marv (Mickey Rourke), an outcast on a mission to avenge the death of the one woman who treated him right; Dwight (Clive Owen), a good guy, who spends his night trying to protect Gail (Rosario Dawson) and her Old Town girls from a crooked cop and the mob; and a battered old cop named Hartigan (Bruce Willis), who vows to protect a sexy stripper. Each story holds its own among the others as we find ourselves switching from one to another, much like in Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece, Pulp Fiction. In fact, this film seems to be a lot like Fiction. Tarantino is a special guest director who directed one brief scene for the film and also seems to have influenced much of the films style and violence. The stories of each of these characters are so well done that we begin to believe what we are watching to be possible in this comic book world filled with violence. Each story is told through both the eyes and narrative of its main characters. It's a very interesting way to tell a story, but it's wise. At Sin City's pace, a two-hour, one-story narrative would begin to wear on its audience.
Every scene of Sin City looks like it came right out of the pages of a comic book. The more you watch, you begin to wonder if you are still watching a movie or flipping through the pages of one of Frank Miller's comics. The dark city is brought to life not with colors, but incredible CG graphics. Everything is composed of black and white, except for a few details that have been filled with beautiful colors that we can't miss. It's a type of style and imagery that carries the film almost by itself. You could watch this movie for the first time with the volume on mute, and still walk away amazed. The tag team direction of Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller are the brilliant minds that allow us to find ourselves just looking and almost forgetting to truly watch and enjoy the entire aspects of this film.
Frank Miller's Sin City is brought to life with a cast of Hollywood stars that never seems to end. Even the smallest of roles are brought to life by big budget actors such as Josh Harnett and Elijah Wood. The acting that caries the movie, however, comes not from these small roles, but from the main characters of each of the three stories. Bruce Willis looks every bit a great film star of old in black-and-white. Clive Owen is intriguing as the one good guy in this city we find ourselves caring about. The one role that steals the show is Mickey Rourke as Marv. He gives one of the best performances of his career and gives us the best narrative voice we have heard since Tom Hanks in "Forrest Gump".
After seeing Frank Miller's Sin City, I had no words to explain what I had just seen. It wasn't just another movie; it was different from anything I had seen before. It was a ground-breaking experience I didn't expect. I have never seen a movie use its elements so well and let it take us on such a wild and crazy ride. A ride you don't want to miss and have got to experience, but isn't suited for everyone. This is definitely not a movie that you want to bring your kids to, or want to watch if you can't take violence. It's rated R for a reason, but the violence is done with such unique style that it doesn't take away from the film. Go rent this film, or else you won't know what you're missing out on.