Kattiera Nana I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Grimerlana Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Lumsdal Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Floated2 The Black Dahlia is a true based crime story based upon the investigation of murder of upstart Hollywood actress. As a film, it tries hard to be a 1940s-style film noir, but ends up bearing an uncanny resemblance to a comedy spoof. The self-serious dialogue, interspersed with goofy lines and goofier story turns one can only assume are knowing comic relief, is not only tonally destructible, but also an offensive, unsolved real-life crime. The film's pacing is quite slow and doesn't become interesting more than halfway through. With an unsettling ending, the film doesn't bring in enough intrigue or suspense of sorts.

J-bot6 This film's a bit unusual in that the peripheral actors outperform the lead actors. Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank, Josh Harnett, and Aaron Eckhart turn in over-the-top performances that tend to repeatedly rip the viewer out of the movie.In contrast, Mia Kirshner, Mike Starr, James Otis, and Fiona Shaw did a great job. To be fair, the more subdued scenes with Aaron Eckhart were quite good.The style of filming is pretty cool. I'm certainly a fan of noir films. However, there's something about the exterior period sets that don't seem quite right. Maybe it's that they're so squeaky clean. As hard as this film tried to be genuine, it still felt contrived -- both in performance and appearance. Then there's the character development side of it. It would have been nice if some time was cut from the boxing match and a bit more time spent on the characters and their interactions. Things happen between characters in this film as if almost instantaneously. Some kind of method of showing that time has passed before major shifts in attitude take place between characters would help a lot. The current cut makes it seem like the characters change their minds suddenly and almost without explanation. It's pretty confusing to watch -- and that's not even factoring in the convoluted plot. Black Dahlia is a movie that wants to generate atmosphere, but it can't. If a person wants a modern take on noir with a bit of camp, they're probably better off playing through Bioshock 2. For Black Dahlia to really work, any and all camp (and any hyper-real portrayals) need to be eliminated. This is a film that would have worked if it had instead been a bit understated.

oscar-35 The Black Dahlia, 2006.*Spoiler/plot- In 1940's Los Angeles, two LAPD detectives get involved in the famous gruesome murder of a Hollywood starlet.*Special Stars- Aaaron Eckhart, Hillary Swank, Scarlett Johanson, Josh Harnett. DIR- Brian De Palma. *Theme- Things are never of what they seems, even to detectives.*Trivia/location/goofs- Exteriors shot entirely in Los Angeles.*Emotion- A confusing detective story artificially wrapped up in the famous murder case of the 1940s. Very seedy plots and violence in this film seems to be gimmicks to make the film more interesting that it really is.*Based on- The Los Angeles 1940's Black Dahlia murder case.

FlashCallahan 1940s Los Angeles. Two cops, Bucky Bleichert and his partner, Lee Blanchard, investigate the death of a young woman found brutally murdered. Bucky soon realises that his current girlfriend had ties to the deceased, and soon after that, he begins uncovering corruption and conspiracy within the police department........Every director has a bad film in their repertoire, that one mistake that ever so slightly tarnishes an illustrious career. Spielberg has 1941, Scorcese has Gangs Of New York, and Michael Bay has his CV.This is De Palmas misstep. But what a misstep it is. Usually with his movies, you have the wonderful cinematography that adds that depth that is synonymous with his movies, and it's here in all its glory, but it's overused, as if he's trying to cover the fact that the whole film is an incoherent mess.So we have two hours and one minute of Josh Hartnett walking around, looking confused, and being either mocked, threatened, punched, made to look a fool, and discovering so etching just as it's too late. And he looks as confused as the audience. The story of The Black Dahlia is a fascinating insight to Hollywoods seedier side, but it's dealt here with a fist fully loaded with ham, and alongside Hartnett, the cast are simply putting in over camp pantomime performances.Johanssen, when she's not looking at Hartnett from the top of the stairs, is just mind numbing as a wannabe Femme Fatale, woefully miscast in her role.Swank makes an extended cameo and spends the majority of it in bed, but she has a secret that is pivotal to the narrative AKA she helps to end it.Eckhart phones in his performance, mugging aimlessly throughout, and just adding to the whole mess.It's nothing more than a best of De Palma cinematography compilation, featuring a miscast, usually better people, a pantomime villain, and it will leave you with a headache and a tinge of anger, because you know the director is so much better than this.