Sin City

Theatrical Release Date: 2005 04 01 (USA)

UPC: 031398134688

Summary: The Eisner Award-winning comic series Sin City comes to life in this live-action feature adaptation from director Robert Rodriguez and creator Frank Miller. Interweaving multiple storylines from the series' history, this violent crime noir paints the picture of the ultimate town without pity through the eyes of its roughest characters. There's the street thug Marv (Mickey Rourke), whose desperate quest to find the killer of a prostitute named Goldie (Jaime King) will lead him to the foulest edges of town. Inhabiting many of those areas is Dwight (Clive Owen), a photographer in league with the sordid ladies of Sin City, headed by Gail (Rosario Dawson), who opens up a mess of trouble after tangling with a corrupt cop by the name of Jackie Boy (Benicio Del Toro). Finally, there's Hartigan (Bruce Willis), an ex-cop with a heart problem who's hell-bent on protecting a stripper named Nancy (Jessica Alba). Featuring a who's who supporting cast that includes Elijah Wood, Brittany Murphy, Devon Aoki, and Nick Stahl, Sin City promises to be one of the most direct translations from page to screen of a comic series, with shots and dialogue adapted straight from the original comic's panels. Rodriguez quit the Director's Guild when they refused to let Frank Miller co-direct the film, a deal hashed out after the two collaborators developed and shot the opening scene utilizing a green-screen process to harness the stark, black-and-white look of the books as a litmus test for the rest of the production. Quentin Tarantino was brought in and reportedly paid one dollar to direct an extended scene between Del Toro and Owen that amounts to one issue of The Big Fat Kill miniseries. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Category: Crime

Awards: In Competition – Cannes Film Festival Best Ensemble Acting – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Editing – Phoenix Film Critics Association Best Makeup – Phoenix Film Critics Association Top Ten Film of the Year – Phoenix Film Critics Association Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – Chicago Film Critics Association Best Overlooked, Original, Innovative or Creative Film – St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion – Online Film Critics Association Best Cinematography – Online Film Critics Association Best Editing – Online Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor – Online Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor – Chicago Film Critics Association

Sin City

Format: Blu-ray

Release Date: 04/15/2011

Audio: DHMA null, DD2 Dolby Digital Stereo, DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 124 Minutes

Language(s) English

Subtitles: Spanish

Jeremy Wheeler

As far as comic adaptations go, Sin City is an unprecedented book-to-screen translation that's locked, loaded, and rip-roaring ready to introduce movie audiences to the mad genius that is Frank Miller. By meticulously re-creating the acclaimed comic creator's most personal work, co-director Robert Rodriguez has given Miller's creation the chance to live and breathe using the exact hard-nosed dialogue and iconic camera shots from the acclaimed graphic novels. The end result is a mad brushstroke of digital filmmaking that is risqu? enough to be considered bold, while palatable enough for exploitive entertainment purposes. It remains to be seen what the unprepared masses will think of Sin City -- in fact, there couldn't be a better, more PC time for the flick to hit. Basically a slap in the face to neo-conservative ideals, the film is so full of gleeful graphic violence and raw, steaming sexuality that there's sure to be some kind of backlash somewhere. The cast is a knockout, with major kudos going to Mickey Rourke, Rosario Dawson, Benicio Del Toro, and even a smaller, supporting appearance by Rutger Hauer as they fulfill their inspired casting choices and take delicious delight in this world of corruption and sleaze. The stark black-and-white visuals are the real star here though, merging film noir sensibilities and dynamic comic panel storytelling with the help of a heap-load of computer graphics and inventive filmmaking to create something that's new, raw, and refreshing. Additionally, the direct translation is both exciting and a bit jarring, lending an unusual pace that you don't see in modern cinema; just as the gusto violence will turn off many and probably create more cynics in the critical circles, so too will the film continue to polarize its viewers due to its experimental nature. Comparisons will no doubt be drawn between the page and screen for years to come, which might hurt the film simply because it is an adaptation and no matter how direct a translation it is, there's bound to be things that are lost in the process. Still, after years of being jerked around in Hollywood, Miller is finally given the tools to strut his stuff on the big screen and, love it or leave it, perfect or not, that's exactly what Sin City is. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Tommy Flanagan  Actor 
Rick Gomez  Actor 
Frank Miller  Actor 
John Debney  Composer (Music Score) 
Graeme Revell  Composer (Music Score) 
Bob Weinstein  Executive Producer 
Harvey Weinstein  Executive Producer 
Robert Rodriguez  Director 
Robert Rodriguez  Composer (Music Score) 
Robert Rodriguez  Producer 
Robert Rodriguez  Screenwriter 
Elizabeth Avellan  Producer 
Frank Miller  Director 
Frank Miller  Producer 
Frank Miller  Screenwriter 
Jessica Alba  Actor 
Devon Aoki  Actor 
Alexis Bledel  Actor 
Powers Boothe  Actor 
Rosario Dawson  Actor 
Benicio Del Toro  Actor 
Michael Clarke Duncan  Actor 
Carla Gugino  Actor 
Josh Hartnett  Actor 
Rutger Hauer  Actor 
Jaime King  Actor 
Michael Madsen  Actor 
Brittany Murphy  Actor 
Clive Owen  Actor 
Mickey Rourke  Actor 
Nick Stahl  Actor 
Bruce Willis  Actor 
Elijah Wood  Actor 
Marley Shelton  Actor 

Country: USA