Susan Hated Literature

Writ & Dir: James Grey

• Joaquin Phoenix … Robert ‘Bobby’ Green
• Eva Mendes … Amada Juarez
• Mark Wahlberg … Capt. Joseph ‘Joe’ Grusinsky
• Robert Duvall … Deputy Chief Albert ‘Bert’ Grusinsky
• Alex Veadov … Vadim Nezhinski
• Danny Hoch … Jumbo Falsetti

Bobby is a night club manager. It is the 1980’s, New York. Life is good. Until the day his brother comes calling. Bobby’s brother, Joe, you see, is a cop. A drugs cop and he arrives in full on SWAT-mode at the club. This is not a way to ensure peaceful family get togethers. Especially considering that we already know there is tension in the family. You can just guess at the resulting tensions. But then the Russian bad-guys organise a hit on Joe. Bobby is stung into action and swears revenge. In this life or the next.^[1]

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Dir: Frank Miller, Robert Rogriguez & Quentin Tarantino
Writ: Frank Miller

• Bruce Willis …. Hartigan
• Mickey Rourke …. Marv
• Jessica Alba …. Nancy Callahan
• Clive Owen …. Dwight
• Nick Stahl …. Roark Jr./Yellow Bastard
• Elijah Wood …. Kevin

It is hard to know how to describe this film, I suppose I could say that Sin City has three stories, each based on a different graphic novel by Miller. Or that it is just an experiment in style and how to make a film look original.

The film opens with soon-to-retire cop Hartigan (Willis) as he attempts to save 11 year old Nancy Callahan from rape and death. I’m guessing you’ve figured out it isn’t a fluffy-bunny film right? Because there is a hell of a lot of violence. In the main it is fairly cartoony, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have impact, and there are a few scenes that’ll make anyone wince.

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