Sin City
By T.S. Johnson, Sat Dec 10th

Welcome to Basin City, a city where a Senators maniacal son hasaccess to its youth, where you're just as likely to be killed bythe police as you are a criminal and the prostitutes have theirown section of town where they can dish out their own brand ofjustice independent of any officials.

Basin City is also home of Sin City the noir graphic novel (Icall them comic books) by legendary comic Frank Miller. FrankMiller and Robert Rodguiez, with a little help from QuentinTarnatino bring his very pessimistic and sadistic world to lifein the new film of the same name and takes us all along on awild, and very violent ride through Miller's morally bankruptimagination.

Sin City is everything you'd expect to hate about a movie:drastically violent, sadistic, misogynist by anyone's standardand lacks any hint of morality but, despite all of that, it isone of the best movies I've ever seen.

First of all it is visually stunning. Rodriguez apparentlyadhered slavishly to Miller's comic book and painstakingly tookit from the comic pages to the big screen. The settings arestunning, and the color, this extreme black and white withsplashes of well placed color, is astounding. Rodriguez, who hasbrought us films such as El Mariachi and Desperado, is just asstylized as he's ever been and just as brilliant. He reallybrings you into this world of victim vs. victimizer where no onereally wins and everyone is a loser.

Secondly Sin City's all star cast doesn't disappoint, with theexception of Jessica Alba who is out of place and completely outof her acting league in her role as Nancy, a stripper with theheart of gold. Some notable performances include Benicio delTorro, who is amazing as Johnny, the decorated yet sadistic andabusive police officer

and ex-boyfriend to Brittany Murphy'sAlice and Clive Owens who plays Murphy's new love interest andJohnny's nemesis.

But the best performance of all is Mickey Rourke as Teddy a halfman, half beast thing that avenges the murder of a hooker,Goldie, who is the only person who has ever shown him anykindness. When she's found dead after a night they have spenttogether, Teddy is excused of the crime. He swears to find thoseguilty for her murder and proceeds to stop at nothing to see itdone. This is a role Rourke was born to play. He embodies thepsychotic and violent Teddy and you can't help but feel for himas he sets out to exact the vengeance that has consumed his soul.

Sin City isn't perfect however. The dialogue can start to getold after awhile, I know it is a comic book, so that over thetop, nineteen fifties "Golly G" language is to be expected butstill it was a bit annoying. Also the story is very complicated,having been adapted from three of Frank Miller's comics and ifyou don't pay close enough attention you could miss how all ofthe stories connect. I've already mentioned the violence but itbears repeating that this is an extremely violent film. Whilemost of the violence and gore is stylized, (there's a wholesequence with a decapitated, talking, head) it is still a bitmuch and if you're of the faint of heart then this movie is notfor you.

With that said Sin City is a great film and those young maleswho are a fan of Miller's comics will not be disappointed here.If you can stand random acts of violence, beheadings andcastrations, then take the time and see this film, it'sdefinitely worth your money. If not, stay home, this isn't afamily friendly flick.

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