The Black Dahlia (2006)

Too many fans seem to be blown away

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

When it comes to the future, protection from the present is to not be at risk because of the present.To not be at risk, because of the present, is to be at risk because of the past. To be at risk because of the past is impossible, because the past is unable to influence the present. The future is impossible, because the past is unable to change the present - the impossible is created by the inability of the past to create the present.In juxtaposition, it's the possible which is created by the ability of the past to create the present - reality is created by the ability of the past to create the present.Reality is created by the ability of the past to create reality.When the ability of the past creates reality, reality is created: when the ability of the past creates ability, ability is created.The ability of the past, is the non-ability of the present - the non-ability of ability. When the non-ability of ability creates ability, ability is created.An ability that's created isn't an ability or a creation: an ability that's created is an inability that isn't created.When the non-ability of ability creates ability, an inability is timeless.A non-ability ability is a timeless inability. When a timeless inability creates an ability, an inability is timeless.When a limited power creates a limitless power, a limitation is limitless.A limited power has a duty to improve itself so that the experience of limitation is better.A weakness needs to improve itself so that it's more fun to experience the weakness

Brian DePalma assembled a good cast for this attempt to memorialize a famous Hollywood legend from the 1940s as a film noir. He had already proved with the magnificent "Chinatown" that he could realize the noir style as well as any contemporary director, so we are left to puzzle over what went wrong here. Notwithstanding an excessive amount of screen time devoted to a single boxing match, I still really liked the first half of this movie, which took its time developing the characters and story using classic noir tropes and compelling cinematography, all of which promised a splendid overall experience. Then came the second half, in which the sheer volume of subplots, plot twists, and added complications overwhelmed the actors' ability to fend off self-parody. It made me sad. It was as if DePalma had been halfway through making a good (if overlong) three-hour movie when he suddenly realized he had only a half hour of film left to finish it. (Did he ran out of money?) In the end, he tried to tie everything together with a series of brief, confusing, talky, and even ludicrous scenes that were a poor substitute for letting the audience think along with a protagonist while he pieced things together on his own.

Brian De Palma's Black Dahlia 2006 Venice openerBrian De Palma's eagerly anticipated "BLACK DAHLIA", which officially opened the 63rd Venice Film Festival was screened for the press this morning with the screening immediately followed by a packed house press conference. Principal actors, Josh Harnett, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Eckhart, and Mia Kirshner (who plays the gruesomely murdered Elizabeth Short of the title) were present as well as director De Palma and writer James Ellroy, on whose novel regarding the famous unsolved L.A. murder case the film is based. Ms. Johansson looked much better in person than she did in the film, (is this the next Lana Turner?), handsome Josh (he was in "Pearl Harbor" a few seasons back) looked younger in person than in the film, Eckhart, with a scruffy beard and shirt open at the neck, looked every bit as tough as the hard-boiled detective he plays in the film, and Mia Kirshner looked rather demure in contrast to the 'come hither' cheapie porno actress and "Black Dahlia" murder victim she so effectively and winsomely portrays in a relatively limited role. Scarlett Jo (how long will it be before the tabloids start calling her that?) --seemed very much at ease before the large Italian press gathering, looking and expressing herself (y'know ) rather more like just a very good-looking young gal from L.A., than the superstar diva she is rapidly becoming. In any case this is a very good-looking young lady, not at all hard on the eyes, although in the film, De Palma somehow managed to make her look almost doughty or borderline Plain Jane. The press screening ended with a scattering of polite clip-claps – not exactly what you would call an enthusiastic reception. On the plus side, the look of the film is gorgeous – only to be expected as lensed by ace Hungarian DOP Vilmos Zsigmond, and the period reconstruction -- costumes, hats, cars, hairdos – even down to minor details like a newspaper report almost at the edge of the frame, on the death in a plane crash of opera star Grace Moore – is, if not 100% perfect, certainly one of the best for its period I've seen in many a moon. The personalities of the characters as created by the various actors, all in very good form – even Hillary Swank, whom I normally can't stand – are quite engaging and believable – all, that is, except for Scarlett Johansson, who comes off phony and stagey -- quite the opposite of her total convincingness as the femme fatale of Woody Allen's "Match Point" last year. Whether this is the result of insensitive direction on the part of De Palma or the demands of a role too complex for the as-yet not fully experienced actress, or a combination of the two factors – is hard to say, but one thing is sure – this is not going to go down as one of the highlights of Ms. Johansson's film career. On the other hand, both pugilistic detectives, "Fire and Ice", respectively -- Hartnett and Aaron Eckhart – are both likely to come out of this as highly sought after screen properties. Hartnett for his good looks and vulnerability, Eckhart for his gritty neo-Gene Hackmanism. Mia Kirshner is also particularly touching in her few scenes, especially the one in which she does a take on Vivien Leigh in GWTW, almost bringing that long-gone star back to life for a few seconds of screen magic. However – humph-humph – much as I was longing to love this film because I love the period and the L.A. of the period it was just too long, too klunky, and too confusing – too much work, for most audiences I think, to figure out just what the hell is going on, and why! I found it hard even to fathom the unquestioning and unflinching faithfulness of detective Bleichert to detective Blanchard (Hartnett and Eckhart) which is crucial to the entire tale. Although the real Black Dahlia murder was never solved, in the Ellroy version we actually find out who really dunnit – a whole family of screaming nutcases – and, by the way, Fiona Shaw is especially outstanding as mother-nut of the whole butchering clan. (Just to keep track, she's Hillary Swank's mother in the flick) – I would not mind seeing this movie again just to enjoy the personalities of the actor's but I wouldn't recommend it, either to Scarlett Jo fans, or to people in need of a story that makes sense and hangs together.

The Black Dahlia (2006): Dir: Brian De Palma / Cast: Josh Hartnett, Aaron Eckhart, Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank, Mia Kirshner: Compelling thriller about the ugliness of greed, sex and corruption. Josh Hartnett and Aaron Eckhart play two cops investigating the murder of an actress yet things are far worse than they are. To gain its 1947 setting Brian De Palma uses tainted colour giving a noir appeal resulting in a film that comes as a cross between two other superb De Palma films, Dressed to Kill and The Untouchables. Hartnett narrates the story and becomes entangled with the crime as well as two women, however his solution may be questionable. Eckhart becomes obsessed with the case and detaching from his girlfriend. He is abusive towards her without knowing that his partner is pining after her. She is played by Scarlett Johansson who harbors feelings for Hartnett but endures the stress of her current relationship. Hilary Swank portrays a conniving female who looks like the murder victim. She will factor in with her family thus dragging Hartnett into further criminal decisions. Mia Kirshner plays the title subject under investigation because she is the deceased victim. Rich in its noir presentation with elements of early Hollywood and its dark side. De Palma once again delivers a thriller and his trademark combination of sex and murder. Score: 8 / 10