Film noir for dummies... but great

Rating: 7/10 (3 April 2005)

Sin City
Rating: **** (Four stars out of five)
Based on a graphic novel, the labor of love that is the new film Sin City exemplifies a case of style ruling over substance. But what a style it is!
This style is brought to life by director's Robert Rodriguez (the guy behind the Sky Kids trilogy believe it or not), Frank Miller (the creator of the graphic novel) and special guest director Quentin Tarantino who all present an ugly world that is beautifully framed. The film is meant to be a modern type of film noir, a sub-genre of film that gained massive popularity in the golden age of Hollywood (think Humphrey Bogart in 1941's The Maltese Falcon).
To bring this old style to a new audience, the visuals are perfected on the computer thanks to state-of-the-art technologies. The original graphic novel contained only black, white, and a few other solid base colors. The film helps recreate this look cinematic ally by cranking up the contrast and using bright colors that distinguish themselves clearly from the otherwise dark landscapes. It is a world that aches of the past.
Make no mistake, this is a film that has been crafted and not manufactured. Every detail is lovingly placed. It is also a film that aims to sucker punch its audience in the head with violence, twists and overall absurd antics. That's not to say violence is all Sin City has to offer, though. There is romance, action, drama and even black comedy (perhaps the entire affair could be looked at as a black comedy.) The experience Sin City offers is much more alive than last fall's listless Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, another film that achieved majestic visuals through CGI.
A gigantic cast helps Sin City move beyond the status of a few fanboys wet dream. With this cast three major story lines taken from the graphic novel are fleshed out, all of them evoking the sensibilities of true film noir. One involves Mickey Rourke's character Marv and his revenge scheme while another plot line follows Clive Owen's Dwight through his bloody exploits. The final story deals with framed cop John Hartigan, played by Bruce Willis. The three stories work together well as characters intersect and situations become more and more twisted.
Still, Sin City is not without its flaws and at the end of the day the visuals have much more depth than anything the script has to say. With the radiance of the visuals, though, that's not necessarily a major complaint. Yet, the mostly one-dimensional characters do take away from the lasting impact of the film. The film has got more to it than many effects-laden blockbusters, but that's not saying much.
Overall, film noir is a genre capable of great expression, able to tap into the inner workings of the human condition. What Sin City does is takes the most interesting aspects of this style and throws them all into a big mix. The result is a stunning experience that is filled to the brim with entertainment but also lacking in some of the subtler details that give noir its ability to strike into the darkest, deepest sections of the human soul.
Critic's Conclusion: It's a bloody, violent affair full of cruel characters and broken spirits, but yet Sin City is beautiful in its bold yet simple vision. It is a film created to entertain the darker side of the human spirit, memorably appealing to the senses more than the intellect.