Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

Movie Name: Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
Year of Release: 2014

Director: Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez

Stars: Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rosario Dawson, Bruce Willis, Powers Boothe, Eva Green, Dennis Haysbert, Ray Liotta, Christopher Meloni, Christopher Lloyd, Jeremy Piven, Jaime King, Juno Temple, Jamie Chung, Marton Csokas, Stacy Keach, Jude Ciccolella
Genre: Crime, Thriller

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5

Synopsis:

"Sin City: A Dame to Kill For" is directors Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez sequel to their successful 2005 film, "Sin City". The original film made popular the concept of shooting a film in full green screen context, which allowed for the backgrounds and effects to be done in post production, and closely resemble the drawings and art direction of Frank Miller. The sequel basically focuses on three episodes that cross the multitude of characters that inhabit this universe. One of the stories focuses on Dwight and his relationship with a femme fatale by the name of Ava Lord, a woman of exquisite beauty who lures men to her web of deception. Ava successfully makes Dwight kill her husband upon which she sets her goals on destroying him. It's up to Dwight and his accomplices to try to stop her. Another episode focuses on Johnny, a young man who is a professional gambler possessed of an extraordinary amount of luck. He successfully wins every game, until he deliberately crosses paths with the corrupt and amoral Senator Roark. He humiliates the politician during a card game, prompting Roark to go after him for revenge. The final episode focuses on Nancy, the dancer, who wants revenge against Senator Roark, for the death of her protector and lover, the policeman Hartigan. She secures the help of Marv, and they both go on a death spree, trying to end Roark's existence.
"Sin City: A Dame to Kill For" is for all intended purposes a direct follow up from the previous film that brought the name of Frank Miller to larger audiences and introduced them to the aesthetic and concept of a live (and highly stylized) graphic novel. The stories on both films are quite similar - Sin City is a corrupt city, where men still hold their honor, the police and politicians are corrupt, and women are dangerous and menacing. The film anchors most of the focus on the visual style, which is as the previous one, stunning and meticulously created. However, as a fully fledged film, it feels incomplete and somewhat limited - it relies heavily on large chunks of character narration and description, which makes the stories feel under-developed. The cast assembled is impressive, but the highlight is definitely Eva Green - she truly creates a femme fatale that is irresistible and unforgettable. A flawed yet interesting film worth watching.