Sin City Movie Review: By Adam Mast, ZBoneMan.com

Sin City is a breathtaking, violent, dark, gritty, intense, and funny pulp noir thriller, but the best word that describes this visual stunner is – UNCOMPROMISING. The lengths to which Robert Rodriguez has gone to get this film off the ground would make a great documentary. Particularly the approach the maverick film maker used to convince Sin City creator Frank Miller to allow him to bring this vibrant world to the screen. Miller is a well respected artist who had distanced himself from the movie biz years ago after getting burned one too many times, and getting an up close an personal glimpse into this aspect of the film’s origin would be every bit as exciting as the film itself.

The genesis of the project breaks down like this. Robert Rodriguez had been looking for a new and exciting project to bring to the screen, and with the continuing evolution of the digital world, he thought it might be interesting to bring Frank Miller’s beloved Sin City series to cinematic life. However, he knew this wouldn’t be an easy proposition as Miller had pretty much shunned Hollywood following a number of sour experiences on film projects like Robocop 2. Suffice it to say, Rodriguez knew that if he would have any chance at roping Miller into the film world again, it would take some creative footwork on his part.

After unsuccessfully getting to Miller, Rodriguez remained determined. On to plan B, which happened to be a pretty ambitious plan. Rodriguez opted to contact some of his friends in the business – including actor Josh Hartnett –and shoot a test scene from Miller’s graphic novel. Rodriguez figured if the Sin City creator liked what he saw, then part of the film would already be in the can. Lucky for Rodriguez, Miller was very impressed by what Rodriguez put together and what’s more, he captivated by Rodriguez’s game plan for the entire project. This wouldn’t be some lame, chopped up adaptation. This would be a translation. Rodriguez wasn’t interested in bringing the graphic novel to the cinematic world. He was more interested in altering the film medium to accommodate Miller’s visual sense.

A deal was eventually struck. Miller was persuaded and before long several of Hollywood’s heavyweights (including Bruce Willis) became interested in the project. Also thrown into the mix – a game Quentin Tarantino who, up until this point, wasn’t completely sold on shooting in digital. When he saw Rodriguez’s Texas home set up – complete with a digital studio – he quickly changed his mind and decided to lend his considerable talent to a portion of the film.

The film quickly started falling into place, and Rodriguez’s stock began to rise. And in fact, Paramount even offered him the big budget John Carter of Mars as soon as Sin City wrapped. The future was looking incredibly bright for the innovative film maker until he hit an inevitable snag. Rodriguez had always envisioned his latest effort as Frank Miller’s Sin City and was very adamant about Miller receiving a director’s credit. After all, it was his vision that Rodriguez was attempting to capture. Alas, The Director’s Guild of America has this silly rule stating that only one director can receive credit. What? Rodriguez found this unacceptable. What about the Coen Brothers? What about the Farrelly’s? Were these guys getting special treatment because they were family? What ever the case might have been, Rodriguez didn’t agree with it so he did something unprecedented. He quit the DGA! Doing so, cost him John Carter of Mars job (it eventually went to Sky Captain helmer Kerry Conran), but at least he would get to make Sin City his way. With Frank Miller, Quentin Tarantino and an extremely understanding Dimension Films in his corner, the gifted Rodriguez has fashioned a near masterpiece. At the very least, it’s the strongest work of his career and most impressively, it was, as most of his pictures are, shot quickly. Rodriguez is known for shooting as many set ups in a day, as most other directors shoot in a month, so Dimension Films knew they’d be getting their money’s worth.

Now that I’ve rambled on and on about what it took to get this movie to the screen, I’d like to get to the film itself. I should first confess that I had never read Frank Miller’s Sin City tales. I had heard of them, but never picked them up. This didn’t harm the film experience for me in the slightest, but then I’m always looking for a new cinematic adventure. I guess what I’m trying to say is that Sin City probably isn’t a movie for mass audiences. But for comic book fans and movie geeks, it’s absolute heaven. A grand marriage of two artistic mediums that make for one of the most awe-inspiring film experiences I’ve had in a long time.

Like Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, Sin City weaves it’s short stories together in a creative, narrative fashion. When a new character hits the screen, the film immediately becomes a story about him or her. Bruce Willis is Hartigan, a cop with a bad ticker hot on the trail of child molesting psychopath Rourk Jr. (aka) Yellow Bastard (Nick Stahl). Mickey Rourke is the bigger than life Marv, a bad ass whose quest for revenge leads him to cannibalistic killer Kevin (played by Elijah Wood). Clive Owen is Dwight, a suave tough guy who teaches his girlfriend’s (Britney Murphy) ex-boyfriend (Benicio Del Toro) a thing or two about manners.

These various noir tales all take place within the confines of a dark and deadly city in which the line between crime and the law is extremely blurred. The cops and politicians are even more villainous than the crooks, hookers and dope peddlers who populate the city.

Sin City is breathtaking on so many levels, that I don’t really no where to begin. Firstly, the use of color is extraordinary. As I stated earlier, Rodriguez wasn’t interested in doing an adaptation. He wanted to do a translation. In other words, he more or less used Frank Miller’s illustrations as a story board. What you see on the page is what you see on the screen. Everything from the colors, to the sets, to the way the characters are posing and speaking. It’s all there.

The color schemes not only make for a visually stimulating experience – they also afford Rodriguez, Miller, and Tarantino the opportunity to get away with graphic blood shed they might not have gotten away with had the film been shot in the world as we know it. This film is incredibly grim and extremely violent offering up, among other things, decapitations, severed limbs, blood splatter, and a scene in which a character actually has his testicles ripped from his body. The violence, of course, is quite often cartoonish. Take for instance a scene in which Marv is repeatedly hit by a car. His body is catapulted into the air like a rag doll, before falling to the ground and being hit by the car again. Immediately following this, Marv jumps to his feet, and dusts himself off as if he were Wyle E. Coyote.

Sin City is dark and brooding but not in the same way a movie like Seven is. There is a sort of sweet, romantic tone at the center of the movie, and there’s also a wicked sense of humor seeping from nearly every angle of this thriller.

Sin City is cast to perfection, and Frank Miller (who actually has a sly little cameo himself) has been very vocal about how happy he is with the finished product, particularly Mickey Rourke who plays the lumbering Marv. Rourke proves here why he was such a hot commodity back in the 80's with films like Angel Heart and Year of the Dragon. He’s tailor made for this role, bringing equal parts sympathy and menace all while maintaining a certain swagger. Bruce Willis is outstanding as the redemption seeking Hartigan. He’s both tough and vulnerable. This is a great piece of acting. I also enjoyed Nick Stahl as the menacing Yellow Bastard. This is a memorable turn and Stahl virtually oozes evil by the gallon. The entire cast is picture perfect, but these three performances happen to be my personal favorites.

There has been a lot of talk about Jessica Alba’s character Nancy Callahan – a stripper with a heart of gold. If I had a dime for every time I heard a someone say they were pissed-off that she doesn’t get naked in this movie, I’d be a rich man. I say who cares. Nudity does not a great movie make. But I will say to those knitpicking pervs that at least you get to see Jaime King and Carla Cugino topless. Plus, you get to see Rosario Dawson prancing around in some pretty skimpy garb.

Sin City is just flat out spectacular. It’s a lively look at a bleak world. I’m not as fond of it as I am Pulp Fiction but I got the same sort of feeling as I watched it. It felt like something new. Something fresh. It was just exhilarating to sit through. Last summer I raved about Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. This movie is similar in terms of visual style. Sadly, that film wasn’t embraced. I hope Sin City is.

I’ve always been a huge fan of Rodriguez. I haven’t been a fan of all his films (I couldn’t stand The Faculty) but I’ve always admired him. I love the chances he takes and I really respect the way he makes movies. He’s a true independent film maker, but he’s found a way to use the studio system to his advantage and I applaud him for it.

Sin City might be Frank Miller’s baby, but had it not been for Rodriguez, it probably never would have been delivered in such breathtaking fashion. This is clearly Rodriguez’s best film to date.

Grade: A-

Adam Mast, ZBoneMan.com