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Starring: Bruce Willis, Clive Owen, Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Jamie King, Benecio Del Toro, Rosaria Dawson, Powers Boothe, Bittany Murphy, Michael Clarke Duncan,  Carla Gugino, Elijah Wood, Rutger Hauer, NIck Stahl, Josh Hartnett. Action/Fantasy/Animated. Directed by Robert Rodriguez.Synopsis: Sordid dealings and double crossings are the staple of the corrupt place called Sin City, with the crime being protected includes the ultimate unspeakable horror and the coverup reaching all the way to the highest level of government and the clergy. There are good people in Sin City, even if they haven't always been in the past, and this their story.

Absolutely loved this flick. Sin City is original, it's fresh, its aesthetically pleasing, tells an interesting-if slightly unbelievable-story and the acting is excellent. When you look at the names that put together this incredible ensemble cast, you might thnk to yourself that it would be hard to mess it up but, I think we all know that it is possible to have a bad flick even with a great cast. (See Attacks, Mars) 

As some of you likely know, the flick is based on a graphic novel by Frank Miller (The Spirit), who also has a co-director's credit in this one. I'm not familiar with the graphic novel at all, but I don't think you need to be to enjoy this flick. 

It's hard to give a real comprehensive overview of this one without going on for far too long or giving away and spoiling some interesting  plot points and memorable scenes, but suffice it see that this flick tells a story that is inter-connected but unfolds in a non-chronological way, which I think makes it all the more interesting.

We're dealing with some hot button issues in this flick, gang, including: murder, drug abuse, homosexuality, pedophilia, prostitution, and cannibalism. A good time to be had by all and, crude as it likely sounds, set forth in an entertaining way.

There heroes of Sin City include a hard bitten cop on his way to retirement with a bad heart named Hartigan (Bruce Willis 16 Blocks)  who is determined to stop a child molester (Nick Stahl) who is the son of a prominent politician (Powers Boothe Men Of Honor)  and the nephew of an even more powerful man who is an influential clergyman, The Cardinal (Rutger Hauer Salem's Lot). This sounds like the type of thing a cop should do, but then if you think that you don't know Sin City very well. In fact, Hartigan's own partner (Michael Madsen Blood Rayne) is very, uhh...opposed to his partner's investigaton and takes steps, shall we say to prevent it.

Hartigan is not the only hero in Sin City, however. We also have Marv (Mickey Rourke The Pledge)  a large, hulking brute who is short on looks but long on loyalty, a great deal of which is directed towards finding the killer of Goldie, the hooker with the heart of gold who was murdered while spending time with Marv, and Marv was framed for the crime. He is relentless in finding the killer of his beloved oldie, enlisting the help of his probation officer (Carla Gugino Righteous Kill) and Goldie's twin sister, Wendy (Jamie King Two For The Money).

During his quest, Marv encounters a cannibalistic serial killer (Elijah Wood  Green Street Hooligans)  who, unbelievably, has ties to the Cardinal. Will Marv be able to achieve his justice and at what cost? Well, I will not spoil for the unfortunate ones who have not seen the flick as of yet, but I will say that we will find in Sin City that hookers, like Wendy, mete out their own form of justice in the part of the city they control-Old Town-and also qualify as heroes in our tale.

Their leader, Gail (Rosario Dawson Seven Pounds) is an ex-flame of one of the other good guys in Sin City, Dwight (Clive Owen The Pink Panther  Inside Man) who helps the girls out of a major jam with the cops in Sin City, particularly a dirty hero cop named Jacky Boy (Benecio Del Toro The Hunted)  

How does this all fit together, you might ask? Well, it does, but its one of those stories where you have to kind of stick with it from beginning to the end to fully understand ir...but I wouldn't call it a mystery or even suspense myself.

Visually, its stunning to look at, most of the story plays out in black and white, often with just on color in the frame which makes something, such as a severed hand spurting greenish blood, for example, really stand out. Also, its combined brilliantly with animation, both moving and still, which really gives it that comic book come-to-life look and feel that I'm sure Rodriguez intended and I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed.

I believe you will, too, that's really all I've been trying to say.  

Starring: Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Viola Davis.Directed by John Patrick Stanley. Drama. Synopsis: A Catholic school in 1960s New York is the scene ot turmoil beneath the surface when the actions of a priest towards a boy who is the first African American student in the school are questioned by the school principal and develop into accusations.

O.k., if what you like in your flicks is to be challenged, and to be able to use the story you've just seen as sort of a spotlight into your own feelings and prejudices or if you just want to engage in a spirited debate about what the flick was really about with your friend(s) after the movie , well, you can't do much better than Doubt. 

As you know, I'm a firm believer in the old adage that good story + good acting = good movie. Doubt proves that and also shows the formula works if you substitute 'great' for 'good'. IN our story, it's the mid 1960s and Donald Miller is the first African American student at this school populated mainly by working class people. Things actually seem to be going fine, Donald has especially taken a liking to Father Flynn (Phillip Seymour Hoffman Boogie Nights) a popular priest who likewise seems to have taken a special interest in Donald.

Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep The Manchurian Candidate) is the prinicipal and fairly old school when it comes to things, youy get the distinct impression that she is not as welcoming to Vatican II changes as others might be, such as her young protege, Sister James (Amy Adams Catch Me If You Can) who is obviously still getting the feel of her teaching position.

Nothing we can't handle or relate to, until Sister Aloysius has a suspicion, and a strong one at that, that something improper has happened between Donald and Father Flynn. Does she have any evidence? Well, no, but she does have circumstances and the certainty of her suspicion. She enlists a reluctant Sister James to help her get to the bottom of whatever lurid things might be going on.

Sister Aloysius is not afraid to confront Father Flynn directly and, when she does, it is one of the most powerful scenes you will see, both Hoffman and Streep are just outstanding. And, believe it or not, neither of them may be the outstanding actor in this flick, that might just have to go to Viola Davis (Law Abiding Citizen), playing Donald's mother who has her own titanic confrontation with Sister Aloysius and, when accused by the stern sister about her seeming reluctance to think ill of Father Flynn, gives a very compelling and startling response to the question of "What kind of mother are you?" 

Very strong stuff and, trust me, the moral ambiguity is so thick you need an axe to cut it. In other words: awesome.  I believe this movie is one of the few that can take you places you might not necessarily want to go, but that is what makes it so powerful, in my opinion. What do you do when your feelings of certainty and/or judgment are questioned? And by that, I mean questioned by you.

That is where Doubt comes in.   

Eddie Griffin (Irish Jam) plays Undercover Brother,  a walking parody of the super cool black action hero from the '70s, when it was called 'blaxploitation'. Huge Afro, pick with the black-power-fist handle, Gold Cadillac, patent leather shoes...the whole nine yards. Hilarious. And, don't think that the racial humor I spoke of is directed from one race to another. Most of it is directed inward, which makes it both acceptable and, in my view, funnier.

Undercover Brother is doing his thing, trying to be a cultural Zorro when it comes to distinctive black culture and the modern era that seems, to him, to be losing that particular flavor. While on an 'assignment', he crosses paths with The Brotherhood, a top secret society that works to take down "The Man", that fictitious figure who works to keep people down, or so the people say.

Brotherhood agent Sistah Girl (Aunjanue Ellis The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3) recruits Undercover Brother to work with the rest of the crew to fight The Man. And, now is the perfect time, since The Man has recently hatched a devious plan which has brought down the potential Presidential campaign of General Boutwell (Billy Dee Williams iMURDERS) and also poison the minds of African Americans everywhere.

The Brotherhood is led by The Chief (Chi McBride Annapolis) and also features Smart Brother (Garry Anthony Williams) and Conspiracy Brother (Dave Chappelle The Nutty Professor), not to mention their intern, Lance (Neil Patrick Harris Batman Under The Red Hood)

The Man, who remains faceless to us, relies on his right hand man (Chris Kattan) and The White She Devil (Denise Richards Edmond) whose job it is to use her woman wiles to get Undercover Brother off the trail of The Man.

The pace of the flick is crisp, the dialogue is primarily one liners and double entendres, and no stereotype is spared nor any chance to spoof the prototypical 'spy' movie. The cast works well together, with Chappelle, Griffin, and Williams being the ones who will elicit the most laughs, but everyone pulls their weight.

You'll have some fun with this one for a couple of hours, nothing wrong with that.