Sin City

Dir: Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez, 2005 (8.1*)

This is how graphic novels should look! Incredible gothic, dark look to this film, using special effects, that overall makes it look almost an animated graphic novel. This is how the original Batman and Dick Tracy films should have looked. Rodriguez brought in the artist of the original, Frank Miller, to oversee the art direction, the result is stunning. The film is a trio of bizarre tales, the main one involving Bruce Willis, who once saved a child, now Jessica Alba all grown up into yummy eye candy. Elijah Wood goes WAY out of character as a speedy, silent killer. Benicio del Toro is a cop, who spends most of his screen time literally as a talking head (a scene directed by Quentin Tarentino for $1). A bevy of beauties led by Roxanne Dawson play hookers who control the inner city without police interference. Film noir with a graphic/comic look (up a * for the look alone), very updated and very violent, not for the squeamish. This is not like any other film in its look, something truly unique.

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El Mariachi

Dir: Robert Rodriguez, 1992, Mexico (8.8*)

Audience Award, Sundance

Indy Spirit Award for Best Picture

This terrific action film put Rodriguez on the map, and he made the entire film using credit cards for an amazingly low price, something like $50,000 (his friends acted for free!); it went on to gross millions. The movie concerns an out-of-work mariachi guitarist on the road looking for work. At the same time, a drug gang war erupts, and they hire an assassin who carries his weapons in a guitar case. Gee, guess what? The guitarist becomes mistaken for the assassin and has to defend himself, and the ensuing massacre makes him a frightening legend to everyone in his path, as he must flee both gangs and the police! Rodgiguez' camerawork is very inventive and fresh, and even though this is lightweight, it's still far better than his big budget sequels, Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico (which had Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayak!) On the dvd, be sure to check out "Robert Rodriguez' Ten-Minute Film School". Brilliant stuff and on a "shoestring".

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