Comic book fans will probably never forgive Hollywood for deflating the puffed-up immortality of their favorite characters. On the big screen, the loose laws of comic book reality are usually downplayed, counting on the average filmgoer's limited suspension of disbelief. Instead these adaptations are usually bound by the conventional movie standards that their source material shatters with reckless abandon.
"Sin City" is Frank Miller's apology to the hardcore fan base for every comic book movie that didn't rise to its expectations. A film has never resembled a comic in style, dialogue and general atmosphere more than Miller's co-directorial effort with Robert Rodriguez. Given how many times this movie missteps or just locks its audience out in the cold, maybe there's a good case for probably never seeing anything like it again. But the final result is enjoyable despite never being solid for long periods of time.
"Sin City" is an anthology that follows three separate storylines of Miller's successful miniseries of graphic novels. Reflecting the comic's visuals, it is filmed in black-and-white noir with select colors and flesh tones added to visually stimulate objects or physical features. Occasionally there are silhouetted black-and-white still shots lifted directly from Miller's comic, adding another original dynamic. Because the camera is held low and steady throughout these scenes, a panel-like feel is consistent throughout the film, forcing creative edits and dissolves rather than any sort of cinematic sweep between scenes.
The plot, however, is not as consistently impressive, relying on the strengths of its three lead actors to carry weak and repetitive storylines, even for something designed to be neo-pulp.
The first tale concerns Mickey Rourke's Marv character, a hulk of an ex-con framed for the murder of a beautiful prostitute named Goldie, one of the few people to have shown him genuine kindness. Acting under heavy facial prosthetics, Rourke delivers the best performance of the film on his ultra-violent and unapologetically sadistic quest to punish those who have framed him. He redefines the limits of what passes for an acceptable film anti-hero as he tortures and maims those he seeks information from with a cartoonishly playful but gruff demeanor.
Elijah Wood's role as the main foil in this story is unlike anything we thought ol' Frodo was capable of. He channels a disturbing vibe as Kevin, a mute serial killer who dines on his victims and meets an appropriate fate consistent with twisted comic book morality.
Story number two deals with yet another ex-con. Dwight, played with a cool hand by Clive Owen, gets caught up in the death of Benicio Del Toro's Jack Rafferty, an abusive but admired hero cop killed in Old Town, Basin City's red light district. It's up to Dwight to hide Rafferty's body before the police break an unspoken deal with Old Town's lethal call girls. But like traditional film noir, things get complicated.
If Rourke has the best performance in "Sin City," a close second goes to Owen, whose voiceover narration is compelling and lifts another flimsy story out of the ashes. The other big names in the act phone in their performance, especially Del Toro, whose seeming lack of focus is disappointing. However, Devon Aoki's Miho, a ninja prostitute with a heart of ice, stands out and is probably destined to be given the same cult status as many anime characters.
Bruce Willis stars in plot three as John Hartigan, a grizzled cop near retirement who saves young Nancy Callahan from Junior (Nick Stahl), the perverted son of a senator. After Hartigan maims and brings down Junior, the powerful connections protecting the fortunate son quickly spring up and frame him for the act. Years later, Hartigan has to save himself and a significantly "filled out" Nancy (Jessica Alba) from Junior, who has become a hideous yellow creature after surgical procedures to correct Hartigan's damage. It's strange that Willis would be the weakest of the three main performances since he's been playing the grizzled cop in movies for so long, but his acting picks up when he goes for the part of tortured hero rather than burned-out has-been. Stahl's Junior, the most amoral creature in "Sin City," complements the moral Hartigan well.
"Sin City" is a fetish film, one that immerses willfully in cult followings, from comic book geekdom to sadomasochism to Goth culture to B-movie bliss. However, having Rodriguez there to check Miller's inexperience and love for his own written word seems to be the component that saves this film from becoming silly and uncomfortably outlandish.
