film
by Keiron Self
SIN CITY 2 : A DAME TO KILL FOR ****
THE INBETWEENERS 2 ****
Dir: Robert Rodriguez/Frank Miller (15, 102 mins)
After a hefty break, comic book scribe Frank Miller and director Robert Rodriguez
return with another portmanteau of monochrome stories from Basin City –
abounding with stylish sex and violence. Nine years after the first film adapted
from Miller’s startling graphic novel series, several more tales rear their grizzled
noirish heads. Some are from the pages of the Sin City series, others are far more
fresh. Style is all as Jessica Alba returns as stripper Nancy Callaghan, saved by
Bruce Willis’ cop Hartigan in the first film and now out for revenge of her own.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt joins the fray as a gambler trying to bring down the people
who run Sin City and Mickey Rourke returns as thuggish but principled nutcase
Marv in a prequel to the original tale in the first film as he tries to protect Alba.
Eva Green also adds her femme fatale to the proceedings – she is indeed the Dame
To Kill For, ensnaring Josh Brolin’s kind hearted Dwight in her nefarious plans.
Violent, amoral and as ever oozing its own distinctive hardboiled style, Sin City 2
is a slicker visually arresting second helping of grim noir. Opens Aug 29
Dir: Damon Beesley/Iain Morris (15, 90 mins)
After swearing that they would never do another Inbetweeners film, the cast and
writers have reassembled for another dollop of clunge, as they’d say, but this time
in Australia. The Inbetweeners Movie was the most successful British comedy
ever, so a follow-up was i