Sin City

I caught the opening night of Sin City tonight. The crowd was disappointingly sedated for a near full house. I guess I'll have to wait for Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Revenge of the Sith for a more amusing crowd. But on to the movie...

It was really freaking good. Sin City is gritty as hell, brutally hilarious, and visually stunning. Try to imagine what would happen if LA Confidential got crossed with Pulp Fiction and the Punisher and you might have a small clue what you're going to see. It's noir. It's shockingly violent. It's stylish and surreal.

Most of it is shot in black and white with splashes of color artfully placed for emphasis. I was wary of a b&w film, but the directors made the right choice. Somehow it works. Another thing I usually hate in films is when characters self narrate. I want to hear them talk to each other and watch what they do to get to know them, not listen to them speak their own thoughts. Yet somehow for this film it works. The narration frequently put me in mind of a really hard boiled detective. The sets were created digitally with much of the acting filmed in front of a green screen, yet again for this film it works.

Anyway, you can read much of this and more in dozens of reviews. If you don't like violent films or you're planning to take the kids, definitely take a pass on this one. Otherwise, don't miss it.