Sin City (2005)

Comment:
I don't know the original comic version, but I can say the director has translated the comic into moving picture sooo.... perfectly! It's like I read the comic instead of watching the horror movie. Incredible. However the touch of guest director Quentin Tarantino is very dominant. Spliting the movie into three parts, just bring me deja-vu of Pulp Fiction.
Review: As far as comic adaptations go, Sin City is an unprecedented book-to-screen translation that's locked, loaded, and rip-roaring ready to introduce movie audiences to the mad genius that is Frank Miller. By meticulously re-creating the acclaimed comic creator's most personal work, co-director Robert Rodriguez has given Miller's creation the chance to live and breathe using the exact hard-nosed dialogue and iconic camera shots from the acclaimed graphic novels. The end result is a mad brushstroke of digital filmmaking that is risqué enough to be considered bold, while palatable enough for exploitive entertainment purposes. It remains to be seen what the unprepared masses will think of Sin City -- in fact, there couldn't be a better, more PC time for the flick to hit. Basically a slap in the face to neo-conservative ideals, the film is so full of gleeful graphic violence and raw, steaming sexuality that there's sure to be some kind of backlash somewhere. The cast is a knockout, with major kudos going to Mickey Rourke, Rosario Dawson, Benicio Del Toro, and even a smaller, supporting appearance by Rutger Hauer as they fulfill their inspired casting choices and take delicious delight in this world of corruption and sleaze. The stark black-and-white visuals are the real star here though, merging film noir sensibilities and dynamic comic panel storytelling with the help of a heap-load of computer graphics and inventive filmmaking to create something that's new, raw, and refreshing. Additionally, the direct translation is both exciting and a bit jarring, lending an unusual pace that you don't see in modern cinema; just as the gusto violence will turn off many and probably create more cynics in the critical circles, so too will the film continue to polarize its viewers due to its experimental nature. Comparisons will no doubt be drawn between the page and screen for years to come, which might hurt the film simply because it is an adaptation and no matter how direct a translation it is, there's bound to be things that are lost in the process. Still, after years of being jerked around in Hollywood, Miller is finally given the tools to strut his stuff on the big screen and, love it or leave it, perfect or not, that's exactly what Sin City is. -- Jeremy Wheeler
Synopsis:
The Eisner Award-winning comic series Sin City comes to life in this live-action feature adaptation from director Robert Rodriguez and creator Frank Miller. Interweaving multiple storylines from the series' history, this violent crime noir paints the picture of the ultimate town without pity through the eyes of its roughest characters. There's the street thug Marv (Mickey Rourke), whose desperate quest to find the killer of a prostitute named Goldie (Jaime King) will lead him to the foulest edges of town. Inhabiting many of those areas is Dwight (Clive Owen), a photographer in league with the sordid ladies of Sin City, headed by Gail (Rosario Dawson), who opens up a mess of trouble after tangling with a corrupt cop by the name of Jackie Boy (Benicio Del Toro). Finally, there's Hartigan (Bruce Willis), an ex-cop with a heart problem who's hell-bent on protecting a stripper named Nancy (Jessica Alba). Featuring a who's who supporting cast that includes Elijah Wood, Brittany Murphy, Devon Aoki, and Nick Stahl, Sin City promises to be one of the most direct translations from page to screen of a comic series, with shots and dialogue adapted straight from the original comic's panels. Rodriguez quit the Director's Guild when they refused to let Frank Miller co-direct the film, a deal hashed out after the two collaborators developed and shot the opening scene utilizing a green-screen process to harness the stark, black-and-white look of the books as a litmus test for the rest of the production. Quentin Tarantino was brought in and reportedly paid one dollar to direct an extended scene between Del Toro and Owen that amounts to one issue of The Big Fat Kill miniseries. -- Jeremy Wheeler