The Black Dahlia

I was very excited about this movie because it is based on a book from an author I love, James Elroy. I have not read this particular book but I love his story telling, plus, the trailer looked amazing. The trailer does not lie, the movie does look amazing. The style, the clothes, the colors, the people all look good. In fact, everything about this movie is good except the script.


The movie stars Josh Hartnett and Aaron Eckhart as cops in the 1940's who are trying to solve the brutal killing of a girl, played by Mia Kirchner seen only in incredibly creepy looking flashbacks of her screen tests. Scarlett Johansen and Hilary Swank round out a cast of phenomenal looking people who all look cool as they smoke and speak fast yet bland dialogue. I will admit that the trailer is misleading because the movie is not really about solving the murder. The movie is about what trying to solve this murder does to its characters. We watch Aaron Eckhart quickly unravel, Josh Hartnett try and keep focus and Scarlett Johansen slowly lose her mind as Eckhart becomes obsessed.


I am far from a Hilary Swank fan, but here she makes a vicious vixen and she is loving every second of it. Josh Hartnett makes a case for himself being more than a bushy eye browed broody pretty boy. As he does more in than looked confused. He cries, he looks mean and he gets to kiss all the pretty girls. Scarlett, looking as amazing as ever, is probably too young for the role she is playing, but really when you look and sound like she does, it doesn't really matter. The movie plays like a 1940's film noir movie, except you get the blood and you get a little sex. However, the only real sex in this film is creepy and uncomfortable to watch, which is the desired affect. The last 30 minutes of this film are a bit confusing and at times there are just too many plots for a 2 hour movie to really wrap up, but it is a great stylish film. It certainly makes me want to read the book and makes me believe Aaron Eckhart is going to be a long time amazing character actor.