The Black Dahlia (2006)
35 %
Reviews Counted: 179 Fresh: 62 Rotten:117 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.
Runtime: 2 hrs 2 mins
Theatrical Release: Sep 15, 2006 Wide
Box Office: $22,518,325
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. De Palma takes things slow, spending a good 20 minutes establishing the relationship between... [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank, Aaron Eckhart, Mia Kirshner
Director: Brian De Palma
Story: Josh Friedman
Producer: Rudy Cohen, Art Linson, Moshe Diamont
Composer: Mark Isham
Story: Josh Friedman
Producer: Rudy Cohen, Art Linson, Moshe Diamont
Composer: Mark Isham
Buy It On DVD
Reviews
DePalma is like a magician who dazzles us with a trick only to show us, alas, it really was only a trick, and in the meantime he's stolen our watch.
Comment
04/26/08
Won't do much to dissuade the common rap against De Palma as a cold technician who takes projects just for the elaborate set pieces they provide him.
07/23/07
With skeletons flying out of the closet at every turn, this overplotted mess unfolds more like a dumb, daytime soap opera than a well-crafted crime thriller.
04/27/07
It's hard to tell what De Palma wanted to achieve with this film. Whatever it was, what ended up on the screen is a confused, ugly mess.
04/10/07
You have to wonder just how vibrant the film would have been during the Reagan or Clinton administration, when De Palma was in his prime.
03/24/07
A stellar cast of marquee names, coupled with an all-star crew, can't make this entry work.
03/01/07
... ends up being forgettable enough that someone else in the future may still be able to take another stab at the idea.
01/28/07
Filled with atmosphere and attitude to spare, "The Black Dahlia" is film noir at it's finest.
12/13/06
It meticulously resembles a 60 year-old Hollywood artifact, but with a contemporary cynicism.
11/22/06
The Black Dahlia is a good movie, a finely crafted, tasteful, polished, entertaining, and reasonably faithful adaptation of James Ellroy's novel. But it's not a great movie, and that third adjective above is one reason why.
11/20/06
The Black Dahlia revels in its stylish noir production, even though it gets lost in the maze of its zigzagging plot lines.
11/18/06
Ghost World: Keith Uhlich on The Black Dahlia for Reverse Shot's Brian de Palma symposium.
11/11/06
The Black Dahlia turns out to be something of questionable structural integrity, pieced together from old movies.
11/11/06
At no time does the film turn into a satisfying mystery where the audience feels compelled to guess along with our racing detectives.
11/04/06
Frustrating but fascinating, with moments that refuse to be shrugged off
10/20/06
De Palma's lamentable decision to reign in his wild directorial flourishes certainly doesn't do the film any favors...
10/15/06
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.
10/13/06
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