Sin City

SIN CITY -- words fail me with this one. first of all, i went to see it for all the hype. had i been a frank miller fan, i would've enjoyed the film.
not that i'm saying i didn't. story-telling was done well, especially when the ending narration ties up with the introduction. it's set in a dramatic black and white setting, with splashes of bold color in between scenes for contrast and highlight. the characters are stereotypes, but well-cast (this in itself is a feat since there were many of them in the film). then there were some that moved stiffly, but it was understood to be done so only to capture that perfect perspective shot of that scene. the movie aims to be dark and succeeds. grotesque scenes are carefully edited, but is poignant enought to stir your imagination with its sick horror. it also successfully woves 3 stories in it (the first being the best one for me) and takes that faithful step to make the artist's work (or ink, rather) come to life. at one point, i even half-expected narration boxes to appear on the screen.
so, i appreciated "sin city" for all those (and maybe more). yet they are logical reasons, i suppose, and that perhaps be why i couldn't enjoy it completely. the experience for me was lacking. but to another, it may have been different, and i wouldn't begrudge that person for liking it more than i do. really.
now the actor that made the most impact on me? benicio del toro. he just has this commanding on-screen prescence. he fits as the sly scroundel who loves working in the shadows. the lowlife scary creep you would want to hit back if only you had the guts to. the perfect enigmatic villain.
and then there's elijah wood. he must be determined to show his versatility as an actor to shed his good hobbit status. what exactly his role was in the movie, you just have to see.