Cleansing the palate
This weekend N and I watched 'The Black Dahlia'. We had very high hopes, having both read the James Ellroy novel. I don't remember a lot of the details from the book. I read it a long time ago. What I do remember is not being able to put it down. The case itself is compelling, but the book was seedy and well written even if the plot meandered a bit. It focused on the detectives working the case and how it ended up ruling both their lives.
Ellroy admits that his solution to the puzzle is fictional. The case was never solved and somehow the evidence has disappeared over the years. But he, too, was obsessed with the case since it mirrored in some ways his own mother's grisly murder. He channeled that obsession into a page-turner of a hard-boiled detective novel.
The movie? I had hoped for as remarkable adaptation of Ellroy's work as LA Confidential had been. Not completely faithful to the original material, but still brilliant. Atmospheric, beautiful period feel and look, great direction and acting.
Where the hell was this in Black Dahlia?
There were none of the sharp angles and noir-ish shadows present in LA Confidential. There was none of the tight writing, none of the stylish direction, none of the incredible acting and, really, none of the pretty. I don't think Josh Hartnett is handsome or a good actor...Hilary Swank is a good actor, but she's not pretty either. Scarlett Johanssen...pretty but not a good actor.
So yeah...really disappointed in the movie. So I have LA Confidential on right now to cleanse my palate. There's nothing like a little Sgt. Jack Vincennes to make a girl smile. :o)
Ellroy admits that his solution to the puzzle is fictional. The case was never solved and somehow the evidence has disappeared over the years. But he, too, was obsessed with the case since it mirrored in some ways his own mother's grisly murder. He channeled that obsession into a page-turner of a hard-boiled detective novel.
The movie? I had hoped for as remarkable adaptation of Ellroy's work as LA Confidential had been. Not completely faithful to the original material, but still brilliant. Atmospheric, beautiful period feel and look, great direction and acting.
Where the hell was this in Black Dahlia?
There were none of the sharp angles and noir-ish shadows present in LA Confidential. There was none of the tight writing, none of the stylish direction, none of the incredible acting and, really, none of the pretty. I don't think Josh Hartnett is handsome or a good actor...Hilary Swank is a good actor, but she's not pretty either. Scarlett Johanssen...pretty but not a good actor.
So yeah...really disappointed in the movie. So I have LA Confidential on right now to cleanse my palate. There's nothing like a little Sgt. Jack Vincennes to make a girl smile. :o)