00s Movie Review - Sin City

Director: Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller, Quentin Tarantino
Genre: Crime/ Thriller
Runtime: 124 minutes
Year: 2005
Starring: Bruce Willis, Benicio Del Toro, Clive Owen, Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Elijah Wood, Nick Stahl, Jaime King, Josh Hartnett, Carla Cugino, Michael Madsen, Rutger Hauer, Powers Booth, Brittany Murphy, Alexis Bledel

Description: An exploration of the dark and miserable Basin City and three of its residents, all of whom are caught up in violent corruption.

Review: “Sin City” is a film noir-like movie which is very faithful to the graphic novel it’s based on. A perfect job for director Robert Rodriguez, who is accompanied by “Sin City” novel writer Frank Miller and director Quentin Tarantino. 

All these creative minds are a guarantee for an explosive and inventive film. “Sin City” looks breathtaking and is groundbreaking. The graphic novel isn’t just made into film, it looks like the novel actually came to life. De original pictures are used for the story

board and stayed intact. The actors had to film in front of a so-called ‘green screen’.
The presented world and its citizens is shown in black and white. Sometimes things as a red dress, golden blonde hair and blood are highlighted with color. The contrasts look great. 

There are lots of extravagant characters in “Sin City”. Like ‘Yellow Bastard’, a violent pedophile with rubbery skin and unhuman physical forms. And Jackie Boy, a corrupt cop. But most memorable is cannibalistic Kevin, a slick man with a sardonic grin on his face. The anti-hero is Marv, played by Mickey Rourke who you barely recognize. As a storm he rages through the city. For the women, it’s Jessica Alba that catches your eye. As a kid she was rescued by John Hartigan, played by Bruce Willis. Now she is a gorgeous, young woman turned stripper. 

Like I said before, “Sin City” is a groundbreaking film and it amazes me every single time.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

50 Books Challenge 2013 - # 13: A Dame to Kill For by Frank Miller (Sin City # 2)

Title: A Dame to Kill For (Sin City # 2) Author: Frank Miller Story: Dwight's thinking of all the ways he's screwed up and what he'd give for one clear chance to wipe the slate clean, to dig his way out of the numb gray hell that is his life. And he'd give anything. Just to feel the fire. One more time. But he can't let himself lose control again, can't ever let the monster out. And then Ava calls.
Start: april 11th 2013 2013
End: april 14th 2013
Comment: The second volume in the "Sin City" series stars Dwight. He's a good guy with two bad habits: drinking and women. And one weakness: Ava Lord. Although it's a different story, it's easy to recognize Frank Miller's signature. And you really can't compare it to anything else. There are some characters in this story we already met in "The Hard Goodbye", like stripper Nancy, waitress Shelly and off course the brutal Marv. The story also overlaps a little with Marv's story. There are also some new characters. Our leading man Dwight, who only wants to do the right thing, but ends up in extreme situations almost every time. And femme fatale Ava Lord, who can play a man and she makes him do whatever she wants. She always ends up with stabbing the guy in the back. We meet Bob and Mort, two dirty cops. And some of the ladies in Old Town. Gail was in "The Hard Goodbye", but we get to know her a little better. And Miho, who is a real killer woman. It's really hard to say which of the two books I like more. I love them both equally. I'm just a big fan of the way Frank Miller made this comic, I love his style.
Rating: 5/ 5

50 Books Challenge 2013 - # 11: The Hard Goodbye by Frank Miller (Sin City # 1)

Title: The Hard Goodbye (Sin City # 1)
Author: Frank Miller
Story: It's a lousy room in a lousy part of a lousy town. But Marv doesn't care. There's an angel in the room. She says her name is Goldie. A few hours later, Goldie's dead without a mark on her perfect body, and the cops are coming before anyone but Marv could know she's been killed. Somebody paid good money for this frame . . .
Start: april 1st 2013
End: april 2nd 2013
Comment: I couldn't have started this month better. My brother lend this book to me and when I started reading, I had to continue. Off course I saw the movie and this first story is featured in it. "The Hard Goodbye" is sort of a noir detective story, but with Marv as the 'detective'. He's the protagonist of the story. He's not superpowered, but takes an unrealistic amount of injury without dying, and does a few impossible things through sheer brute force and blind determination. And all for one reason: finding the killer of Goldie, the woman who gave him the night of his life. Frank Miller's style is fantastic. It's all in black and white, but there is so much detail in some drawings. You would think you need at least one other color to make it more detailed, but Miller did it his way. And I'm glad he did. It's absolutely sublime how he created this comic. Although this novel is extremely violent, it's a must for every graphic novel fan. Now I love the movie even more, because it stayed so closed to Miller's comic.
Rating: 5/ 5