Sin City: A Dame to Kill For – Movie Review
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For – Movie Review
Director: Frank Miller & Robert Rodriguez
Writers: Frank Miller
Stars: Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Eva Green, Rosario Dawson, Bruce Willis, Powers Booth, Dennis Haysbert, Lady Gaga
American Crime Thriller Movie
It is what it is.
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For is a return to the highly-stylized, hyper-violent, noir world first introduced in 2005’s Sin City, and not a lot has changed. It’s still a rough place to hang around, and one where those in power pretty much do as they please.
There are four stories expertly woven together, weaving in and out of the timeline from the previous movie. All slide in and out of Old Town, the “bad” area of Basin City, the place even the cops know enough to avoid.
The showcase story, about the “Dame to Kill For,” featuring Ava Lord and Dwight McCarthy, is complex, emotional, and absolutely riveting. Following up on the first movie, you find out that Nancy’s story isn’t quite finished, while Marv figures prominently in three of the four tales. Newcomer Johnny (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) brings some swagger and cocky charm as a gambler new to town.
As the film jumps from story to story, it sticks to each just long enough–you desperately want to know what happens next, but you quickly lose yourself in what’s going on in front of you. You’re afraid to blink, lest you’ll miss something.
Eva Green (Ava Lord) absolutely knocks this one out of the park. She is the embodiment of sexy, the one who got away, and it’s completely believable that one man after another falls under her spell. Josh Brolin (Dwight McCarthy) gives a strong performance as a man who can’t resist her, but is bound and determined to try.
Mickey Rourke (Marv) is a solid presence throughout the film, anchoring many of the scenes with a subtle brutality, while Jessica Alba (Nancy Callahan) gives an incredibly nuanced performance. Each time we see her she’s a little more broken.
Dennis Haybert steps into the role (Manute) previously played by the late Michael Clarke Duncan, with relish and an edge of deliberate cruelty. Powers Boothe (Senator Roarke) chews up every scene he’s in–with a just over-the-top performance that’s right on point.
The overall look of this film is visually stunning. It’s no longer surprising–it’s the same “black and white with a dash of color” comic book-inspired style used in Sin City, but it was unusual and eye-catching in the first movie, and nine years was far too long to wait to see it again. It’s eye-catching in the extreme.
Watch for the brief movie-in-a-movie cameo by directors Rodriguez and Miller.
Recommended for fans of the first Sin City movie, for fans of the Sin City comic book series, and for those who enjoy eclectic artsy R-rated shoot-em-ups once in a while.
Reviewed by Elektra Hammond
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Elektra Hammond
Elektra lives in Delaware with her husband, Mike, and the cat herd of BlueBlaze/Benegesserit catteries. When not freelancing or appearing at science fiction conventions she travels world-wide judging cat shows.
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