Sin City
From Frank Miller's graphic novels and the direction of Robert Rodriguez comes a slickly created look at Basin City, a place where the people are the true holders of the law. The film is essentially three short stories put together to form one fantastic film. The first introduces us to Marv (Mickey Rourke), a large ugly brute who is caught in bed with a dead prostitute (Jamie King). As his one true love, he vows to find her murderer. The second story involves Dwight (Clive Owen), new love of waitress Shellie (Brittany Murphy), defending her honor against her former boyfriend, Jackie Boy (Benicio Del Toro). Jackie Boy is eventually lured into the Old Town, controlled by a group led by Rosario Dawson. But the situation gets complicated as it is discovered Jackie Boy is a cop and the mob, led by Michael Clarke Duncan, gets involved. Finally, Bruce Willis is Hartigan, a man who saved a young girl from being raped and killed, getting injured in the process. Fully healed and released from a jail cell after 9 years, he goes in search of the little girl he saved, who had stopped sending him letters. By discovering the little girl all grown up (Jessica Alba), he puts her in danger once again and must save her.

In any other film environment, this movie may have never been shown. There would be too much violence and gore to be seen without a NC-17 rating, something that would scare studios away. Yet the film's visual style tones it down while leaving behind the same effect producing a mind-blowing experience. But while many will focus on the style, there's a lot to be said for the substance. Female prostitutes empowering themselves to take back the streets, an old man risking his life twice for the same person and the perserverence of one man to find the killer of the one he loves make for interesting storylines and things we can admire. Well, not the killing parts. And that violent version of Michael Jackson.

3.5 stars