The Black Dahlia

The Black Dahlia ought to be a classic film noir, said David Edelstein in New York. 'œI can't tell you how it ended up such a stiff.' The vicious 1947 murder of aspiring actress Elizabeth Short remains the most famous unsolved crime in Los Angeles history, and James Ellroy's 1987 novel about its investigators was darkly brilliant. But 'œthe blood and innards seem missing' from this highly stylized adaptation. Don't blame the film's poor quality on its director, said Stephen Hunter in The Washington Post. Brian De Palma, whose worst films get bogged down with trick shots and winking references to classic movies, 'œpretty much keeps his 'hey-I'm-directing-a-movie!' mannerisms under control.' But he's saddled with an incomprehensible plot involving dozens of detectives, murderers, starlets, lesbians, and wacky California creeps. Almost none of those performances is credible, said Mick LaSalle in the San Francisco Chronicle. Only Aaron Eckhart as the lead detective and Mia Kirshner as Short peg the period style. Other cast members, including Josh Hartnett as Eckhart's partner and Hilary Swank and Scarlett Johansson as 1940s femme fatales, 'œcome off as lightweights, like kids playing dress-up.' The more serious they take themselves, the more laughable it all seems.

Rating: R

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