Sin City Review

Seedy streets and a deep love for the noir of old marks Sin City as a notably impressive piece from an otherwise scattershot director. Audiences love to loathe the mind behind both Machete and Spy Kids 3-D, but on the off chance Robert Rodriguez pairs his effective writing with that go-getting direction and one-man-army attitude, the results speak for themselves. Sin City is a keen and obvious example of that, a stern and dynamic look at a town broken into and beaten down. Think Gotham, but less of those masked heroes and more guns wielded by ensemble cast members, legends of the business and newcomers that, at the time, was making a name for themselves with brief flutters under the watchful eyes of directing duo Rodriguez and Frank Miller.

Effective technical markings make Sin City a treat for both audiences that want a strong noir experience and those that hope to revel in the opportunities of skill presented by this directing pair. Rodriguez and Miller mark a successful pairing not just with great casting choices, strong pacing and a camera focus that compliments the style, but with work that impresses through writing. There is an importance to it. A sincere need to spin a story with effectiveness, grace and with conviction. Taking on Bruce Willis and Michael Madsen is a great start for entertaining that jolt of inspiration behind the camera, as the two serve as hosts for that exceptionally and consistently. Sin City revels in its cast, and the likes of Mickey Rourke and Rutger Hauer work fast and loose here.

Casting is often the lasting impression an audience receives. For all the grand pairing of writing and technicalities, the experience depends on delivery. Sin City delivers with such vibrancy in front of its black and white hue that it is hard to switch away from it. Willis’ charming performance, and the strong work on display from Benicio Del Toro and Clive Owen, it all comes crashing through with integral, natural ability. Rodriguez would never hit this stream of consistency again. Lap it up. Revel in it. These are the dark and dingy streets that so many other features have tried to apply themselves to, but failed miserably when they get there. The Spirit and The Boondock Saints spring to mind as clumsy encounters with the darker hearts. Rodriguez’s work here fixates on comic book fantasies with the darker pasts deep at the heart of it.

What occurs is an entertaining blend. An intoxicating one that relies primarily on great design, scenes that make themselves bigger and broader than expected. They are moments. Set pieces that linger on the mind not because they drive through with anything intense, but because they mark a moment. Sin City is a cool-looking film. Sometimes that simplicity is needed. Necessary. There is no doubt of that here, but it is in the smaller moments that this is possible. Quentin Tarantino guest directs, whatever that means. Such a small dose means absolutely nothing. Rodriguez and Miller pull off a violent escapade into the backstreets and come out the other end with a sincerely intense piece that manages to shake loose from the branding of comic book movies.