Sin City

When a devoted director decides to adapt my most beloved comic book, frame by frame, with such an array of talented actors, it can only result in the highest rating. Bruce Willis and Clive Owen were simply born for Hartigan and Dwight. (16/04/2006)

SIN CITY is the first faithful conversion of comics as a pop art genre to the silver screen. Unlike the overwhelming majority of episodic film narratives that borrow the story and certain typical features of comics, Rodriguez subdues the "language" (stylization of the narrative) to the original platform for which the stories were created. Apparently, the author of the comics, Frank Miller, has the lion's share of the film's suggestiveness and persuasiveness, thanks to which SIN CITY really feels like the moving strips of his noir rhapsody. Add to that an unusual share of descriptive monologues and truly gourmet work with color, and we have on the autopsy table the most formally perfect remake we have ever seen. And the content? It works, Oh My God! The bleak world of criminals, pimps and scarred people has the proper magnetism, and while the stories are usually very perceptible and marked by illogical things that are not issues in the comics, SIN CITY maintains an incredibly intense atmosphere, mixing noir roughness and naturalism, bordering on sadism. The psychology works, and all three main representatives give their best, each on their own, each flawlessly. I'm a little sad about the self-purpose of Marva's story... there is simply a strong poetic moment missing, such as Valkyrie’s revenge or Hartigan's solution to the stalemate. But the truth is, I have to work hard to find mistakes. I' did have to ask myself from time to time what it's all about, what it’s leading to... but that's an irrelevant question. Just to the film itself. To mature and rugged poetics that have no competition... In its own perverted way, SIN CITY is a caricature of today's world, and a smile at its black humor tends to freeze on one’s lips. The enjoyment of postmodern decadence - the City of Sin! (23/07/2005)

Likely the most faithful comic book adaptation in a live-action film. Zack Snyder tried hard with Watchmen, but it just didn't work there. Nor did it in this case. Frank Miller drew the comic cinematically, and Robert Rodriguez understood that, bringing each frame to life, giving faces of well-known actors to the characters, and creating a contemporary noir. Or maybe even the future. Beautifully stylized, beautifully gritty, and incredibly entertaining. Yes, I have a soft spot for Rodriguez just like I do for Tarantino, and his action-packed B-movies are simply captivating. We’ll do this again sometime. (22/01/2014)

After the not-so-great Spy Kids trilogy, Robert Rodriguez reached for the comic book source material and, in collaboration with Frank Miller and Quentin Tarantino, made one of his best, if not his best film. The visuals are absolutely perfect, wonderfully capturing the raw atmosphere of the comic book. There are no issues with the cast either – Rourke ("That there is one damn fine coat you're wearin’.") Owen, Willis, Del Toro... What’s more, the individual stories are told with a reasonable amount of hyperbole, so it's nice that Sin City doesn't take itself too seriously. And that's part of the reason I’m giving it 5 stars – the film doesn't mess around, it's a faithful copy of Miller's comic, it impresses with elaborate visuals and a more than pleasant cast, and the direction does exactly what is expected of it. The few apt dry lines are just icing on the cake. 95% (27/03/2009)

What a great experience! Captivating comic-book stylisation, great characters and a very entertaining story. With someone dying almost every minute, there’s a constant parade of new characters, but it doesn’t come with the problems associated with the need of introducing someone new all the time, it comes at neck-breaking speed. I don’t know why I postponed watching this film for so long. 9/10 (06/06/2009)