An uneven and heterogeneous film. The brutal and dirty universe of James Ellroy is out of step with the meticulous art of Brian De Palma. The film is smooth and aesthetic, and often resembles a predictable colorized picture book compiling all the clichés of film noir from the 40s and 50s, where Ellroy subverted them by showing the decayed side. The conventional and flat voice-over completely fails to convey the haunting chaos of Ellroy's language. Hartnett and Eckhart are unconvincing, lacking the inherent savagery these characters require, and making up for it in excess.
Despite everything, the film contains many very interesting and exciting elements, which end up coming together in its last third. Fiona Shaw delivers an absolutely colossal scene of pure madness. There is also a very detailed dramatic action scene typical of the best De Palma, and the influence of Dario Argento is felt in a couple of slightly frightening scenes. It's far from being a useless film, but there is the feeling that the film is too short and too soft to exploit the full potential of Ellroy's 'Black Dahlia'.
Despite everything, the film contains many very interesting and exciting elements, which end up coming together in its last third. Fiona Shaw delivers an absolutely colossal scene of pure madness. There is also a very detailed dramatic action scene typical of the best De Palma, and the influence of Dario Argento is felt in a couple of slightly frightening scenes. It's far from being a useless film, but there is the feeling that the film is too short and too soft to exploit the full potential of Ellroy's 'Black Dahlia'.