Black Dahlia, The DVD Review

"The Black Dahlia" reviews

DVD

The Black Dahlia

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2007-01-19 16:01:20

Provider

MRIB

DVD Review

The last time Hollywood adapted LA's greatest postwar crime writer into a movie was Curtis Hanson's LA Confidential. Here director Brian De Palma brings James Ellroy's incredible cult novel to the screen.

Based on the real life 1947 murder of would-be starlet Elizabeth Short, it stars Aaron Eckhart as Leland Blanchard and Josh Hartnett as "Bucky" Bleichert, two cops bringing their fists, personal skeletons and a stack of baggage to the case. Johansson plays Kay Lake, the filling in the partners' emotional sandwich. While she has the '40s look down pat and smoulders away quite beautifully, Eckhart huffs and puffs in a role in which he's overshadowed by the memory of all the Hollywood greats (Nicholson, Bogart etc) who've been there, done that so much better. Hartnett, meanwhile, is simply inadequate. The film is authentically period - heavy on atmosphere, seemingly shot in smoke-a-scope, so regularly do its cast light up - but squanders much of its good work in the first half by overcooking the second hour.

Typically of writer Ellroy, Elizabeth Short's gruesome death turns out not to be the responsibility of one lone psycho, but an unholy alliance of crooked cops, sexually depraved millionaires and political corruption.

Special features include: A conversation with novelist James Ellroy, behind-the-scenes look at the filmmakers, actors and crew, a look at how acclaimed director Brian De Palma brought his unique and shocking visual style to the film.

Copyright © MRIB 2007.