Sin City (2005)

Oh, how I do love RE-view time. I expect you know the rules by now.

How is it possible that I wrote the entire review last time without talking about the electric guitar driven score? That's crazy talk! John Debney, Graeme Revell, and Robert Rodriguez (director/editor/cinematographer extradorinaire) rock my world. When I find myself walking down the street, humming the selection that you can hear with the menu on the DVD, feeling (to be honest) sexier, I can't help but thank these gentlemen for their fine work.

While Jessica Alba's many failings were a bit more obvious to me this time (I know she's smokin', but people have really got to stop putting her in movies), I did notice that she had a personality for half a line. Apparently a green screen and Bruce Willis bring these things out in her. So much the better I say.

If anyone let me down during my second screening (which was very shortly followed by my third screening), it was Brittany Murphy. I've never thought much of the peroxided actress, and I confess that most of the time she handles her simple role well. That is, until, she's forced to tell Dwight (Clive Owen) what a damn fool he is. Murphy, there's a little trick to clunky/unrealistic dialogue - you either say it winkingly or you pretend it's perfectly normal. There's no half way, no in between. Your over the top deliver (are you hoping for one of those out-of-left-field supporting actress nominations?) grates.

Personal loyalties to Owen aside, Mickey Rourke owns this movie. By the time he utters his rousing speech about the "old days, the bad days, the all-or-nuthin days" being back, I'm so completely on his side that it's a little scary. He's the magnetic north of these disparate yet connected stories.

I still love every violent, vengeful, blood soaked frame. Can't wait for the sequel. A+