A beautifully filmed and written, overall dark film

Rating: 10/10 (18 August 2005)

Sin City is yet another comic book turned film. But instead of Sin City being another cheesy comic book film where the superhero saves the girl from the clutches of an evil monster, the film is made into something I've never seen before in a comic book film. A visual masterpiece which is overall one of the darkest films I've ever seen, literally.
Sin City follows the stories of three separate people living in the futuristic city of Basin City. Hartigan (Bruce Willis) is an ex-cop falsely accused of child molestation and sentenced to spend of a life of shame in solitary confinement. After being released, his only goal now is to protect young Nancy Callahan (Jessica Alba) from the dark past both her and himself share. Marv (Mickey Rourke)is one of the ugliest people in the city but after having the night of his life, everything is about to change.
Marv's lover and only friend, Goldie, is murdered by a superb assassin, Marv will stop at nothing to kill the man who murdered his love. And Dwight (Clive Owen) is the boyfriend of young waitress Shellie (Brittany Murphy) who is being harassed and abused by her ex-boyfriend. Dwight enacts revenge but realizes to late what may just set off a war between the cops of New Town and the prostitutes of Old Town.
The three stories intermingle a bit and are all narrated by the three lead characters. The cast presented is one of the best I've ever seen and each actor is able to bring their own character to life. The story does not drag once as the film expands two hours. Some scenes are a bit nauseating and others, heart-touching.
The film is almost entirely in black and white except for some beautifully shot scenes using colors to emphasize emotion and/ or personality. This is one of the most stunning films I've ever seen. It's bold, it's fresh, and above all else, dark.
Sin City. Starring: Clive Owen, Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Benicio Del Toro, Elijah Wood, and Rosario Dawson.
5 out of 5 Stars.