The Black Dahlia

[wprock]

Yeah, it wasn't as good as I was hoping it would be. Maybe a full half hour, total, is devoted to the Dahlia. Maybe. The rest of it is convoluted stuff with the two detectives. Very annoying.

It also made me firm in my Scarlett Johansson dislike. Girl just cannot act.

Luckily, I only spent $4 to see it.

[esoterica]

It sounds as though it follows the book fairly well. Since, as I said upthread, I HATED the book, I won't be seeing this dreck. I hate how it neatly wrapped up the murder of the Dahlia with some really stupid, convoluted garbage instead of actually using the real story of the Dahlia, which was far more interesting.

[huntergrayson]

Since I read the book, I knew that it wasn't really about the Dahlia. Which is fine since her story never will be truly resolved (I think). But the film felt kinda compressed - it would've been more interesting if we *saw* Lee's descent into obsession rather than having it be sudden and drastic. I mean, Bucky kept saying that Lee was hooked on Bennies (?) but we never saw him take any. Maybe a great deal was cut-out or something.

FWIW, Ellroy's fictional explanation seems no more convoluted than Steve Hoddell's "this girl in my dad's pictures looks nothing exactly like the Dahlia! And his handwriting is vaguely similiar is a perfect match! Daddy did it!" Or any one of the recent theories.

I wasn't sure about the tone in some places, either. It seemed almost campy - especially some of the scenes of Kay/Lee/Bucky - but didn't cross the line. (Unlike, say, the dinner at Madeline's which I think was *meant* to be funny). Hartnett and Johansson seemed pretty stiff and unsure, and I believe the latter can act, so it was odd. I liked Josh's narration more than his performance, possibly because a lot seemed straight from the book.

All that said? It looks fantastic. Just flat-out amazing. The cinematography - so much slanted lighting! - and the production design and the costuming are phenomenal. And De Palma's always moving camera, of course. I have to give them credit for shooting almost all of it in Prague and having it be a seamless match to LA in the 40s.

The best parts were the set pieces, naturally, and Elizabeth's screen tests. Mia is just haunting in them. Did they use contacts or something on her eyes? Because gosh, they look spooky. I also found out after the fact that the voice of the director in them is De Palma himself, which is darkly humorous.

I also was greatly amused at the well-used kd lang cameo. A perfect flourish for that scene.

The film's screwed up narratively, but so's Hollywoodland. But it's very very stylish. All in all, if you're a sucker for 40s/50s Hollywood and all the trappings, both films are worth seeing. Try to save some bucks somehow, though.

It did nothing to help with my dislike of Josh Hartnett. Which is shallow, I know, since it's based on the fact that every girl I know thinks he's a total dreamboat and I see a monobrow with beady ferret eyes, but... However, I liked Swank for once.

[forever1267]

huntergrayson, did you do the rest of your planned visit with the Dahlia? The drinks, the tour, and all that?

Just came back from seeing it. And I have to agree with everything that's been said. Very convoluted and complicated, and I still don't know why she was killed, and in that way. (Which, BTW, the audience retched and gagged during the murder sequence.)

They showed one scene, at the diner with the father, of Lee taking pills, but he didn't just descend into madness, he took the express elevator. I was just confused by what was going on, and how this was all connected. I've read the book, too, and felt the same thing.

But yes, technically, it's spectacular looking, although I love DePalma's style and wish he had been even more stylish.

It's all in the eyes, kids. Hilary Swank, while good in her Hepburn interpretation, looks nothing like Mia Kershner, except for maybe hair color. I didn't see the resemblance either.

Loved that cameo in the lesbian club.

And at first I thought it was William Hurt's voice as the unseen director, but then remembered that I had read it was De Palma.

[satellite]

I agree on it being convoluted, but then again, I had to watch L.A. Confidential multiple times before I figured out what was going on.
On a shallow note, I loved the guys' sexy leather police jackets. What was up with Swank's hair, did she wear a wig at times? On her first meeting with Hartnett it looked shoulder length and black/very dark, but at the dinner it was longer and more of a chestnut brown. I don't think it was just a lighting issue.

SPOILER: Click to show

So... uh, wouldn't that dildo with the little dragon horns do some damage, or was that the point? Or did it just look scary? I was getting "8MM" flashbacks at the end, and it even looked like the same shed. I was surprised no one thought to make a snuff film, but then I remembered that cameras and lighting weren't as portable back then. the dark humor is hard to contain at times

[hobocamp]

Saw it this weekend and I had similar reactions--not enough about the Dahlia, confusing main plot, not enough DePalma camera work. I did, however, get chills when the camera craned up and over the building when the woman found the body. Very creepy and effective way of presenting it, and I like how it was totally in the background of the main action. I didn't care much for the main story. I also wanted more of the kooky mother. She rocked. I hope she gets a supporting actress nod, but I doubt that would happen. Her role wasn't very big. Oh, and about Aaron Eckhart's character going off the deep end, it was mentioned that his sister was murdered, but then ScarJo said something about that not really explaining his behavior. I thought it did, actually, but they just really glossed over that.

I was also sad there was no DePalma split screen.

[huntergrayson]

Yeah, but there wasn't really a good occasion for the split-screen. In spite of all the critics saying he's style over substance, De Palma uses the camera for the story - the spoilered example you gave being a key one, Hobocamp. That was one of my favorite shots in the movie as well.

I'd actually rather Mia got a nod, but it's not going to happen.

I can't believe I missed Lee taking the pills in the diner and both y'all and my friend caught it!. Guess it shows how much it was foregrounded. Or not.

forever - the stupid Formosa was closed when we got there even though 10 minutes earlier they told my friend on the phone they were open! But we did go to the Biltmore - Elizabeth's last definitive "alive" location - and drank the Black Dahlia cocktail. (citron vodka, kahlua and chambord, FWIW).

The movie just made me want to read the book again.

There was a decent article in the new Premiere -- apparently De Palma has known Swank for a while and offered her the part, thinking it'd be neat for her to glam it up for once.

[realitybug]

huntergrayson said:

I also was greatly amused at the well-used kd lang cameo. A perfect flourish for that scene.

;D Yeah, I must say, she has a gorgeous voice, and so fitting for that scene.

I read all the horrible reviews from critics and normal peeps, so to speak. Definetely made me very resistant to seeing it. But I bucked up and went and saw a matinee.

It wasn't as bad as people were hyping it up to be, imo. I thought it was very stylish. A couple parts had me ooked out. The part where the mysterious guy and lee were falling and the guy's head got split on the pointy structure thingamajig. I literally recoiled. Yuck.

Also,

I don't get the deal with Josh Hartnett's dreaminess. He wasn't absolutely horrible in the movie for once.

Oh, and the end scene had me laughing. When Madeleine was saying to Bucky you liked to fuck me and saying it over and over. It was SO cheesy and soap operish.

The best parts were the set pieces, naturally, and Elizabeth's screen tests. Mia is just haunting in them. Did they use contacts or something on her eyes?

Her eyes are a darker green in real life - well, from what I see in her pictures anyway. hah. I don't remember what color her eyes were in the movie. But yeah. I love Mia. I think she's fantastic. She just steals the movie.

[Deleted]

I am intrigued by this mvie. Probably more for the real life crime story than the movie itself. I had never heard of this case before.

I am surprised it's getting mixed reviews. I thought the critics would be loving this one.

[FotoStoreSheila]

Mostly, I thought it was just boring and convoluted.

Saw it last night and I have to agree.