The Black Dahlia Review
By Joe Lozito
Botching the Detectives
Lately it seems like every movie want to be "L.A. Confidential". First,
"Hollywoodland" aimed for the seats with its story of the circumstances surrounding the suicide of "Superman" actor George Reeves, and now Brian De Palma gives us his take on the L.A.-as-land-of-corruption theme with "The Black Dahlia". Like "Confidential", "Dahlia" is based on a James Ellroy novel, this one involving an infamous unsolved murder. But unlike that earlier film, Mr. De Palma's "Dahlia" is a stilted melodrama in the worst sense: it actually seems that the director isn't in on the joke.
In a prolonged opening meant to give depth to the two leads, we meet Detectives Bleichert and Blanchard (Josh Hartnett and Aaron Eckhart). Brought together by a shared love for pugilism, the men develop and odd partnership. Eventually, while on a stakeout, the detectives stumble upon the mutilated body of wanna-be actress Elizabeth Short (Mia Kirshner of TV's "24" and "The L Word"). The case is dubbed "The Black Dahlia" in an obscure reference to an Alan Ladd film of the period. As you'd expect, the investigation leads the men into the by-now-standard "seamy underbelly of high society L.A."
One of the problems with "Dahlia" is that it has only a passing interest in solving, or even investigating, the titular case. Since we know the killing went unsolved, I suppose that's not a problem. But instead, over the film's long two-hour running time, we're meant to get embroiled in the love triangles and deception that permeate Josh Friedman's script. Unfortunately, the characters are so thinly-drawn and the betrayals so telegraphed, it's only a matter of time before the audience loses interest. Particularly egregious is the character of the rich dowager (Fiona Shaw, Aunt Petunia from the "Harry Potter" movies) who appears to be acting in a completely different movie, albeit a more interesting one.
Josh Hartnett, is a likable enough actor but he's no 40s gumshoe. His baby face struggles to show the requisite signs of emotion necessary to make his character believable. He should stick with the lighter stuff like
"Lucky Number Slevin" and, dare I say it, "40 Days and 40 Nights". It seems natural to pair Mr. Hartnett with the equally blank-slated Scarlett Johansson. In a role tailored for a classic film siren, Ms. Johansson fits the clothes, but not the bill. Hilary Swank, on the other hand, comes closest of all to nailing the requirements of the genre. In the role of a very obvious femme fatale (which, by the way, was the title of Mr. De Palma's 2002 stinker), Ms. Swank is given all the best lines and handles them admirably. Likewise, Ms. Kirshner is able to create the film's most sympathetic character mostly via old film footage. Aaron Eckhart is always a sturdy presence, but he isn't given much to work with.
After about a decade of lackluster films ("Snake Eyes", "Mission to Mars"), I was hoping "Dahlia" would be a return to form for Mr. De Palma. On the surface, the Black Dahlia case would seem like a perfect choice for the director. He is not, after all, known for his subtlety; melodrama and intrigue are his forte. But in adapting the Ellroy novel, he loses focus. The film isn't about the case or, in the end, anything else. Happily, Mr. De Palma is still a gifted director, so he keeps the film interesting, even when it's actually not. There are plenty of his trademark mixed-focus tricks and POV shots, but that can't keep the film afloat. If nothing else, the film makes you appreciate how good Bogie and Bacall were. While "Dahlia" struggles to get its job done, they made it looks so easy.
