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Sin City (2005) Dimension
Films, 2 hrs. 5 mins.
Starring:
Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, Jaime King, Benicio Del Toro,
Alexis Bledel, Rosario Dawson, Jessica Alba, Brittany Murphy, Nick Stahl,
Powers Boothe, Elijah Wood, Josh Harnett
Directed by:
Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller |
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Frank Miller’s Sin City is a
swaggering and ultra-violent flashy film noir with a sordid imagination to
match its surreal imagery. The film is based on a series of dark-oriented
graphic comic novels. In fact, filmmaker Robert Rodriguez allots Miller a
co-directing nod as Sin City strings together a bunch of provocative
black-and-white glossy vignettes. Off-kilter film fans will definitely
take to this weird yet colorful crime fantasy that radiates with lurid
edginess.
It’s no mistake that Sin City was destined to be compared to and
reminiscent of the nasty-minded and shocking frivolity that made Quentin
Tarantino’s classic mid-nineties hit Pulp Fiction a sensational surge in
maverick filmmaking. Relentlessly raw and captivating in its perverse
pleasure, Rodriguez’s/Miller’s corrosive collaboration is a sleazy
celebration that acknowledges its giddy grime with an overwrought playful
wink. In many ways, Sin City can also resemble the same magnitude of sheer
over-the-top madness that fueled Tarantino’s caustically frenzied Kill
Bill movie series. (NOTE: Tarantino does make an appearance as a special
guest director in one of the stimulating sequences) Clearly motivated by
its robust sexual and violent tendencies, this naughty narrative is
ambitiously inspired by its warped content. This brand of cinematic
depravity is indeed a mesmerizing joy to behold.
The delightfully dysfunctional Sin City borrows its format from the
aforementioned Pulp Fiction in that it tells three separate stories and
binds them ominously together like a handcuffed prisoner. Overall, this
sulking noir thriller thrives convincingly as the twisted festivities are
conveniently set in Miller’s squalor-induced utopia known as the fictional
Basin City (a.k.a. Sin City). No doubt the built-in fans of Miller’s
original comics series will be engrossed by this boisterous big screen
adaptation. For those that think Sin City will have the innocuous allure
in the tradition of its safe-minded comic book contemporaries Spider-Man
or The Hulk then they would need to seriously think again.
In “That Yellow Bastard”, grizzled cop John Hartigan (Bruce Willis) comes
to the aid of an eleven year old girl and liberates her from serial killer
Junior (Nick Stahl). Junior is a riff raffish figure connected to his
hotshot politician father (Powers Boothe). In exchange for the young
girl’s freedom, Hartigan agrees to take punishment for Junior’s hideous
crimes. While sent away, the young girl keeps in touch with her older
rescuer. After completing his eight year sentence behind bars, Hartigan
reunites with a now curvy and desirous 19-year old exotic dancer Nancy
(Jessica Alba). She obviously is grateful for Hartigan’s interference in
her youthful chaotic life and finds herself in love with her ailing hero.
Unfortunately, a yellow-faced devilish stalker (Stahl) insists on tracking
down the ex-con cop and his delicious-looking teenaged tart.
“The Hard Good-Bye” finds disfigured ex-jailbird Marv (Mickey Rourke)
searching for the killer who murdered his hooker honeybun Goldie (Jaimie
King). In an avenging mood, Marv is pointed in the direction of creepy
Kevin (Elijah Wood), a carnivorous cretin that enjoys snacking on hookers
and dismembering them as a hazardous hobby. Goldie’s prostitute twin
sister (also played by King) joins Marv in getting to the bottom of her
sibling’s demise.
As for “The Big Fat Kill”, the city’s populace is dominated by ruthless
prostitutes led by their leader Gail (Rosario Dawson). Gail is the
ex-girlfriend of Dwight (Clive Owen), a guy trying to put an end to the
confrontational static amongst the raging prostitutes, corrupt cops and
organized crime. No-good law enforcer Jack “Jackie Boy” Rafferty (Benicio
Del Toro) is determined to hound Dwight. Currently, Dwight is seeing
Jackie Boy’s ex-girlfriend in waitress Shellie (Brittany Murphy).
Sin City is an uber-violent exposition that’s not easily swallowed by the
faint-hearted. The parade of shady characters and suggestive situational
predicaments are hard-nosed and needlessly upsetting in all its tawdry
pulp. This is an escapist entertainment that’s taut in all its dreaded
temptation. The nihilistic nuance of this riveting comic book noir is
deplorable art at its wicked best. Clearly, Sin City is the worthy
successor of Pulp Fiction where the flawed universe is turned upside down
on its harried head.
Armed with a calculating cartoonish flair that promotes a hedonistic haze
of aimless lost souls, Sin City manages to incorporate dynamic dialogue to
go along with its sleek-looking presentation. It’s an ugly sheen of
outrageous characterizations dancing to the frothy tune of digitally
crafted dalliances of visual tapestry. In an oddly poetic fashion, the
film’s numerous cast members are marched out methodically; all of them are
wounded with either despair or redemption. The urgency of the movie’s
foundation rests on how wild and brutal the mayhem is perceived. Some will
never get over how certain players in this macabre session dared to be
typecast in this spunky sick-minded melodrama (for instance, check out
television’s innocent Gilmore Girl Alexis Bledel as Becky or Josh
Harnett’s The Salesman).
Proudly reprehensible and rustic in all its intentional backlash, one
cannot help but recognize what appears to be one of the most audacious and
gaudy gems to invade the big screen in quite some time. Sin City may be
one sadistic person’s cup of tea but for others it is a mere gulp of
poison waiting to take its toxic toll. |
