Sin City

In Sin City nobody is innocent, not even the Bishop, and they are going to pay for that.

The movie is based, both the story and aesthetics, in the noir comic by Frank Miller, who is also co-director of the film,together with Robert Rodriguez; Quentin Tarantino was invited to direct one of the scenes. The movie intertwines four different stories, whose characters will cross paths at certain point: The Customer Is Always Right, The Hard Goodbye, The Big Fat Kill, and That Yellow Bastard The movie is visually stunning and stylish. It looks and feels like a real noir comic, with camera framing and positioning typical of comic vignettes, as well as the use of high contrast B&W and chiaroscuro. The movie has wonderful black, white and sepia tones with cutout reds and bright colors, a technique widely used in Photography and drawing, but never used in movies before. The movie was completely shot using green backgrounds.

The movie is heart-attack paced, with no a moment of dullness or rest. However, is not for the heart faint, as it is extremely violent and gory, very hard to watch sometimes. The fact that those being punished deserve it, does not make the violence easier to swallow.

The characters are never dull, very human - never good or bad, but both things. Moreover, they are at very melancholic types, funny and merciless.

The movie delights the viewer with terrific performances by a large group of A-listed actors. However, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, Benicio Del Toro, Clive Owen and Rosario Dawson really shine through. Jessica Alba and Elija Wood, who are usually a bore, are terrific in their respective roles, too.

The best comic adaptation I have ever seen.

Entertainment and quality together. Brilliant

Just watched the Advance Screening last night and I must say that this movie pulls all the punches in violence. It deserves its hard R rating in the first five minutes and doesn't let up until the end credits roll. It has it all - bullets, boobs and be-headings - beautifully set in a grim atmosphere that really keeps you on the edge of your seat. All cast performances were excellent - especially Mickey Rourke's "Marv" character. Fans of the comic will not be disappointed in this film adaption. This movie is definitely not for the squeamish or faint-of-heart.

Sin City grabs you by the nuts and doesn't let go! A must see!

With Hellboy, Guillermo Del Toro lovingly recreated panels from artist/creator Mike Mignola's comic book stories and brought them to vibrant life, setting a new benchmark for adaptations that respect their source material. With Sin City, however, co-directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller have done more than just recreate the brutal chiaroscuro of Miller's stark post-modern noir artwork, they've captured the essence and the aesthetic of Basin City (as much a character as Marv or Hartigan) and brought its universe and characters to a stunning three-dimensional life. And unlike Hellboy, which suffered from a weak, confusing script, Sin City weaves a Pulp Fiction-esque narrative which snakes through the dark streets and crooked alleyways of this hellish metropolis like a fever dream.

In short, Sin City delivers a blistering ballet of bullets and blood, dames and danger at every turn. It's a kinetic masterpiece of pop culture for the new millennium (and a case could be made that this was the movie that CGI was invented for).

As a Frank Miller fan for over 25 years, I know his work and I know Sin City – and this Sin City will knock your socks off whether you are a fan or a newcomer to the dark delights of his devilish imagination and brutal style. Exceeding my expectations on all levels, this movie ranks as one of the most enjoyable cinema-going experiences I've had in years.

Everything works here. From Rodriguez's cinematography and editing, to the seamless direction (no mean feat when you consider Robert co-directed with Miller and Quentin Tarantino joined the mix as "Special Guest Director"), to the spot-on casting. The script gives Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen and Benicio Del Toro plenty of opportunity to chew the scenery – and they do, especially Rourke, who, despite having his mug buried under a thick layer of gruesome latex, delivers one of the best performances of his career and steals the show as Marv, the giant thug with a broken heart. The ladies hold their own, too. Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Brittany Murphy and Jaime King are all great in their roles, particularly Dawson as machine gun-wielding Dominatrix/Hooker-Godmother Gail. And kudos to Elijah Wood (proving there is life after Hobbits) and Nick Stahl who deliver contrasting performances as vile villains, the ultra-creepy Kevin and the disgusting Yellow bastard, respectively.

Sin City is smart, stylish, sexy and sick. It's also violent and funny. Certainly not a film for the whole family, but for those of us who enjoy our movies rated R, this flick kicks the head and the gut like a mule.

Here's hoping Sin City makes a mint, for there are 10,000 stories in the naked (sinful) city, and this is but a handful of them. I'm already praying for a sequel.

A picture perfect "ten" for this cineast.

A film that explores the dark and miserable town, Basin City, and tells the story of three different people, all caught up in violent corruption.

Although the use of digital filming and CGI is very contentious, Robert Rodriguez found a way to make it work to his advantage in a way that may not have been possible with traditional film. The way the black and white brings the noir to life, blending smoothly with the rare other colors... it is the only way to bring a comic book to life. (A similar style is in "The Spirit", which does not get nearly the respect it deserves.)

This casting is incredible, as it is varied and really brought the best performances out of Alexis Bledel, Rosario Dawson and Jessica Alba that their careers ever had. Mickey Rourke was re-invented, and this may have been one of the last great Bruce Willis roles. Such a powerful film.

"Sin City" is gritty, dirty, sleazy and violent. It's an excellent adaptation of the graphic novels by Frank Miller and even if you haven't read the original material, it's a lot of fun. This anthology film features characters that are memorable and likable (or despicable) so it will grab your attention and hold on tight the whole way. There are a lot of memorable scenes and lines that are sure to stick with you too but the best part of the film is the art direction and visual style. An element I'm glad they kept from the original source is that the stories are told almost entirely in black and white, with sharp contrast accentuated in many scenes to not only make certain actions more visually striking, but also to make it easy to follow. Then, the movie does something unique. There are dashes of color in certain scenes to make certain actions and characters even more striking. There's a certain character that is highlighted with the color yellow. His physical appearance already makes him stand out, but that use of color makes him feel extra creepy and it's very effective. The sets and character designs (because some characters here are fitted with heavy makeup and prosthetics to make them stand out and look even more unique) make every frame look like a comic book panel, Every shot I saw looked like it had been meticulously planned out, like a piece of art you could have framed on your wall. The bold style isn't just a gimmick though. It's all blended in seamlessly with the story and helps to reinforce the grittyness and themes of corruption while helping accentuate the prevalent violence of the film. My only real criticism is that some of the performances aren't great (Bruce Willis plays it too low-key). It's a disappointment considering some of the others are quite good, and not in the ways you would expect either. I had to do a double take when I realized that was Elijah Wood and Mickey Rourke I just saw! It's a bit of a mixed bag in that department, but everything else is top notch. Once you see "Sin City" you'll be hard pressed to forget it, and not only because of the visuals. (Extended cut on Blu-ray, August 25, 2012)