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Movies / On DVD / The Black Dahlia
The Black Dahlia

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The Black Dahlia (2006)

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Reviews Counted:179

Fresh:61

Rotten:118

Average Rating:4.9/10

Consensus: Though this ambitious noir crime-drama captures the atmosphere of its era, it suffers from subpar performances, a convoluted story, and the inevitable comparisons to other, more successful films of its genre.

Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for strong violence, some grisly images, sexual content and language.

Runtime: 2 hrs 2 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:15-09-2006

Synopsis: Based on the novel by James Ellroy, Brian De Palma's THE BLACK DAHLIA stars Josh Hartnett and Aaron Eckhart as a pair of LAPD detectives assigned to the most notorious murder in Hollywood history.... Based on the novel by James Ellroy, Brian De Palma's THE BLACK DAHLIA stars Josh Hartnett and Aaron Eckhart as a pair of LAPD detectives assigned to the most notorious murder in Hollywood history. De Palma takes things slow, spending a good 20 minutes establishing the relationship between Buddy Bleichert, Lee Blanchard, and their mutual love Kay (Scarlett Johanssen), before introducing the 1947 murder after which the film is named. In the haunting screen-tests left behind after her mysterious death, aspiring actress Elizabeth Short appears to want fame so badly she'll do anything to get it. Her pornographic film appearances, and a rumored affair with narcissist heiress Madeleine Linscott (Hillary Swank), provide just two clues in a sea of confusion. THE BLACK DAHLIA crams every subplot from Ellroy's novel into two hours, but only connects them towards the end of the movie. The screen-tests featuring a sadly desperate Elizabeth Short (Mia Kirshner) are captivatingly filmed in gritty black-and-white. These scenes succeed in showing the industry ugliness most likely behind Elizabeth's death, while the rest of the film self-consciously strives to be noir through elaborate set design, dramatic camera angles, and narration taken straight from the book. If De Palma's goal was to make us examine our own voyeuristic fascination with murder, particularly the gruesome murder of a beautiful young woman, then he succeeds, because throughout a film invested in so many different storylines, Short's remains the most interesting one. [More]

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank, Aaron Eckhart

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank, Aaron Eckhart, Mia Kirshner, Rose McGowan, Fiona Shaw, Jemima Rooper, John Kavenagh, Pepe Serna, Troy Evans, Gregg Henry

Director: Brian De Palma

Director: Brian De Palma
Story: Josh Friedman
Producer: Rudy Cohen, Art Linson, Moshe Diamont
Composer: Mark Isham
Studio: Universal Pictures

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for The Black Dahlia

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21 - 40 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
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It meticulously resembles a 60 year-old Hollywood artifact, but with a contemporary cynicism.

Full Review Source: Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia) | comment Comment
11/22/06
Mark Palermo
Mark Palermo
Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

The Black Dahlia revels in its stylish noir production, even though it gets lost in the maze of its zigzagging plot lines.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
11/18/06
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

Ghost World: Keith Uhlich on The Black Dahlia for Reverse Shot's Brian de Palma symposium.

Full Review Source: Reverse Shot | comment Comment
11/11/06
Keith Uhlich
Keith Uhlich
Reverse Shot

The Black Dahlia turns out to be something of questionable structural integrity, pieced together from old movies.

Full Review Source: Nation | comment Comment
11/11/06
Stuart Klawans
Stuart Klawans
Nation

De Palma ... does little more than retrace his steps ...

Full Review Source: Star-Democrat (Easton, MD) | comment Comment
11/05/06
Greg Maki
Greg Maki
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)

At no time does the film turn into a satisfying mystery where the audience feels compelled to guess along with our racing detectives.

Full Review Source: CBC.ca Arts | comment Comment
11/04/06
Stephen Cole
Stephen Cole
CBC.ca Arts

Frustrating but fascinating, with moments that refuse to be shrugged off

Full Review Source: Film Experience | comment Comment
10/20/06
Nathaniel Rogers
Nathaniel Rogers
Film Experience

De Palma's lamentable decision to reign in his wild directorial flourishes certainly doesn't do the film any favors...

Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment Comment
10/15/06
David Nusair
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews

After two hours of meandering, convoluted indulgences and loose ends, 'The Black Dahlia' reveals a kinder, gentler Brian De Palma. He should be a good guy to have around.

Full Review Source: Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas) | comment Comment
10/13/06
Jonathan R. Perry
Jonathan R. Perry
Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas)

An over cooked ham of a film, overstuffed with vampish performances and a narrative far too convoluted for its own good

Full Review Source: Dark Horizons | comment Comment
10/10/06
Garth Franklin
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons

The story is all over the place, leaving viewers with a complicated and disjointed picture that touches on interesting points without fleshing any of them out.

Full Review Source: Reno Gazette-Journal | comment Comment
10/09/06
Forrest Hartman
Forrest Hartman
Reno Gazette-Journal

features amazing production design and a fascinating story at first, the film does eventually fall apart at the end.

Full Review Source: Sean the Movie Guy | comment Comment
10/03/06
Sean McBride
Sean McBride
Sean the Movie Guy

full review in Greek

Full Review Source: Movies for the Masses | comment Comment
10/03/06
Joseph Proimakis
Joseph Proimakis
Movies for the Masses

Until it derails while heading into its final turn, The Black Dahlia represents Brian De Palma's most assured moviemaking in at least a decade.

Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment Comment
10/02/06
Matt Brunson
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing

Kay is less a character than an image of the Dahlia's opposite (the blond/beige look versus the dark-haired/black-dressed look being your first clue).

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
10/01/06
Cynthia Fuchs
Cynthia Fuchs
PopMatters

The Black Dahlia is both a studious new entry to the genre and a schizophrenic parody of it.

Full Review Source: Q Network Film Desk | comment Comment
09/30/06
James Kendrick
James Kendrick
Q Network Film Desk

Forty-five minutes in, I was already glancing at my watch and wondering why the only lively actress in this film was playing the dead girl. Go figure.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
09/30/06
Marc Savlov
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle

Highly stylized and overburdened with plot yet always engaging.

Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee | comment Comment
09/29/06
Carla Meyer
Carla Meyer
Sacramento Bee

The movie, like the case, has some loose ends and some compelling moments.

Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
09/29/06
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com

With fall and its promise of better movies on the horizon, this movie, like "Hollywoodland," could have been among the most exciting of the new season. That neither is true for either movie isn't exactly encouraging.

Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment Comment
09/29/06
Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith
Bangor Daily News (Maine)
 
 
21 - 40 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
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