Ultimate Contemporary Film Noir

Rating: 9/10 (9 January 2012)

The ultimate contemporary film noir was created as modern information gathering and communication techniques took us through an evolving mystery that was filled with interesting characters.
The dark story and Gothic style created an edgy moodiness that enhanced the intrigue and made an exciting experience. The mystery was multi-layered, well thought out and although a bit horrifically fantastical was still absorbing. There is a tremendous level of decadence and perversion in this mystery which had similar overtimes to the classic Silence of the Lambs. It focuses in on, what I heard was an alternative title to the novel, violence against women. And one of the most intense revenge sequences that not only menacingly satisfies but at the same time smartly adds a level of momentum created one of the best individual scenes of the past year.
Even more than the intriguing mystery, the creation of one of the most mesmerizing, interesting characters enhanced the experience. A thrilling character to get to know, the "Girl" became the ultimate strong anti-hero/feminist even more so and more developed than "the Bitch" in Kill Bill and Sigourney Weaver's character in the Alien movies. Richly dark and edgy her Gothic anti-society appearance blended well with the way she holds herself; angst ridden and moody. Despite the evilly rebellious exterior she is incredibly technologically savvy, brilliant, tough, and nearly fearless. She has a fiercely independent sense of self. The sense of self made her confident and self-actualized sexually yet adding a layer to this greatness was a level of vulnerability. Her vulnerability was not only the traumatic kind, but simply the minor kind which we all have in our lives and can relate to. The kind where minor imperfection and mishaps occur, the kind where she can't get exactly what she wants, the stuff which we all experience. This created a relatable individual despite her renegade appearance, and almost supersonic abilities and therefore she is a character we feel for and understand. We got to know this soul as she merged with the intriguing mystery.
There was an initial switching back and forth between the mystery and the character creation. This blended well together so that there was never a dull moment.
The story was a bit horrifically over the top and the abilities, almost powers of the "girl" put the movie on a borderline reality/fantastical realm. The character's strength and sexiness will be hard to forget.