Frank Miller's Sin City: Adjectives Fail Me

I just got back from the Saskatoon premiere Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez's Sin City. As the title of the post alludes to, we've been having trouble coming up with the appropriate adjectives to describe the thing. Ridiculous keeps popping up. But not in a bad way. In the best way possible.

First impressions:

Sin City is like a comic book come to screaming, roaring life. It's bloody violent, over the top, and simplistic, but that's what the genre demands. We're not looking for realism, but rather explorations of simple themes like evil, revenge, and so forth. Like the noir novels and films that it draws its origins from, the importance is in the mood and setting that is created. On that level the film succeeds admirably.

The film uses almost all black and white, with colour used to sparingly, but with great effect. The film captures the feel of Miller's gritty black and white drawings, sometimes copying the panels exactly.

The actors embody their characters perfectly. Bruce Willis appropriately world weary. Clive Owen is cool. Rosario Dawson is scary but titilating. Jessica Alba is sexy. Elijah Wood is creepy. Nick Stahl is one of the most frightening, messed up villians I've ever seen.

Either way, this is one film that I'm going to have to check out again. I loved it. It's one of the best comic book movies I've ever seen and the best work Rodriguez has done. His energy, style and enthusiasm all serves to futher the film as art, rather than distract from it. This film couldn't have been done without his unique filmmaking ideas.

Anyway, it's late. I'll get back with a more complete review, but for now, post preview screening, I can't recommend it enough.

Note: People who are squeamish or have a low tolerance for immoral behaviour should stay away from this film.