Knight at the Movies ARCHIVES
Sins of the Flesh, Big and Medium:
Sin City, Miss Congeniality 2, Miss Congeniality Deluxe Edition DVD
3-30-05 Knight at the Movies column
By Richard Knight, Jr.
“Do it again I like it” Jean Harlow said when Chester Morris slapped her in the face in the gold digger comedy Red
Headed Woman over 70 years ago. I kept thinking about that scene as I watched Sin City, which is based on
three comic book novels. I imagine this movie will have the Harlow effect on the all important teenage boy movie
going demographic, as it’s a near perfect distillation of what are apparently their two favorite things: violence and
vixens. Your enjoyment of the picture will hang on those two elements and perhaps an appreciation for film noir
conventions which the movie religiously adheres to in both its almost continuous voice over and high contrast black
and white photography look.
About that look – it’s been computer generated to recreate The Maltese Falcon, Night and the City and other noir
classics while adding modern flourishes of color to add intensity throughout. And like the recent Sky Captain and
the World of Tomorrow, this is another attempt to weld old movie clichés to new fangled technology. Sky Captain
was based on the cliffhangers of the 30s and 40s so everything was sepia toned with the actors placed next to
huge, rumbling robots and massive skyscrapers. Part of the brag about Sky Captain was that the whole thing, save
the actors, was computer created but the mundane story wasn’t much to hang onto and the special effects quickly
lost their razzle dazzle.
The same basically holds true for Sin City and its denizens who are portrayed in the three interconnected stories
by everyone from Bruce Harris, Rosario Dawson, Jessica Alba, Clive Owen, and Benicio Del Toro. Plus Elijah Wood
as a mute cannibal with eyes glowing behind nerd glasses and Nick Stahl, who seems to specialize in playing
rotters, as a villain with jaundiced yellow skin.
I’m not sure how much of the look of Sin City and the extreme features of some of the characters we can thank the
computer, special effects or make-up department for but I do know that everyone looks better photographed in
black and white. Even if the comic book acting and gruesome comic book violence are not your thing, the suddenly
beautiful Brittany Murphy and others who have not registered much in color in earlier films just might be. I’m not
sure why Hollywood is turning to old movie conventions to lure in this teen boy demographic that hates anything
photographed in black and white (I offer my four nephews as proof of that) but I’m happy to go along for the ride –
even if it means sitting through a movie that unfortunately, heralds the return of Mickey Rourke.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sandra Bullock is spunky, pretty and intelligent and adroitly handles physical comedy – sort of a modern day
equivalent of Rosalind Russell – and she works well in roles that utilize those qualities. This may have been part of
the reason for bringing back her klutzy FBI agent, Gracie Hart. In 2000’s Miss Congeniality, Bullock went
undercover at a beauty pageant and was feminized in order to attempt to blend in. She was given ample support
by veteran scene stealers Candice Bergen, William Shatner and most vividly by Benjamin Bratt, who the producers
wisely managed to photograph in a bikini. A special edition DVD of the movie has just been released that includes
two rather nice making of docs, Bullock’s funny commentary, a couple of deleted scenes and a camp “Do You Have
What It Takes To Be A Beauty Queen?” quiz hosted by Shatner (I passed with flying colors, natch). The release
also includes a nice little marketing idea: a complimentary movie ticket to the sequel, Miss Congeniality 2:
Armed and Dangerous.
As the sequel begins, it’s three weeks after the pageant has ended and Bullock’s sudden fame has given her
beleaguered boss, Ernie Hudson, an idea to turn her into the new face of the FBI. But first, of course, the Queer
Eye rip off character needs to make with the make over and we flash forward ten months after Bullock has
morphed into a fashion and style icon and writer of best sellers. But duty soon calls and Bullock, chained to a tough
body guard with anger management issues (played in typical, “You talkin’ to me” style by Regina King), responds,
this time using her wits while looking fabulous to stay three steps ahead of everyone else while appearing to be
three steps behind.
Most of the action takes place in Las Vegas with one major scene set in a drag club. I found this to be an amiable
little comedy, not far removed from the Bette Midler female buddy comedies of the 80s (and I was happy when the
always testy King was finally softened near the end of the picture) though I think a moratorium on drag clubs being
used for comedic purposes needs to be enacted immediately. I was happy that Ernie Hudson, William Shatner and
Heather Burns (as the ditzy Miss United States) returned for the sequel but substituting Mr. Bratt’s character (not
to mention his bikini) in the life of Agent Hart with the one played by Ms. King was a grave error on the producer’s
part.
Sin City, Miss Congeniality 2, Miss Congeniality Deluxe Edition DVD
3-30-05 Knight at the Movies column
By Richard Knight, Jr.
“Do it again I like it” Jean Harlow said when Chester Morris slapped her in the face in the gold digger comedy Red
Headed Woman over 70 years ago. I kept thinking about that scene as I watched Sin City, which is based on
three comic book novels. I imagine this movie will have the Harlow effect on the all important teenage boy movie
going demographic, as it’s a near perfect distillation of what are apparently their two favorite things: violence and
vixens. Your enjoyment of the picture will hang on those two elements and perhaps an appreciation for film noir
conventions which the movie religiously adheres to in both its almost continuous voice over and high contrast black
and white photography look.
About that look – it’s been computer generated to recreate The Maltese Falcon, Night and the City and other noir
classics while adding modern flourishes of color to add intensity throughout. And like the recent Sky Captain and
the World of Tomorrow, this is another attempt to weld old movie clichés to new fangled technology. Sky Captain
was based on the cliffhangers of the 30s and 40s so everything was sepia toned with the actors placed next to
huge, rumbling robots and massive skyscrapers. Part of the brag about Sky Captain was that the whole thing, save
the actors, was computer created but the mundane story wasn’t much to hang onto and the special effects quickly
lost their razzle dazzle.
The same basically holds true for Sin City and its denizens who are portrayed in the three interconnected stories
by everyone from Bruce Harris, Rosario Dawson, Jessica Alba, Clive Owen, and Benicio Del Toro. Plus Elijah Wood
as a mute cannibal with eyes glowing behind nerd glasses and Nick Stahl, who seems to specialize in playing
rotters, as a villain with jaundiced yellow skin.
I’m not sure how much of the look of Sin City and the extreme features of some of the characters we can thank the
computer, special effects or make-up department for but I do know that everyone looks better photographed in
black and white. Even if the comic book acting and gruesome comic book violence are not your thing, the suddenly
beautiful Brittany Murphy and others who have not registered much in color in earlier films just might be. I’m not
sure why Hollywood is turning to old movie conventions to lure in this teen boy demographic that hates anything
photographed in black and white (I offer my four nephews as proof of that) but I’m happy to go along for the ride –
even if it means sitting through a movie that unfortunately, heralds the return of Mickey Rourke.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sandra Bullock is spunky, pretty and intelligent and adroitly handles physical comedy – sort of a modern day
equivalent of Rosalind Russell – and she works well in roles that utilize those qualities. This may have been part of
the reason for bringing back her klutzy FBI agent, Gracie Hart. In 2000’s Miss Congeniality, Bullock went
undercover at a beauty pageant and was feminized in order to attempt to blend in. She was given ample support
by veteran scene stealers Candice Bergen, William Shatner and most vividly by Benjamin Bratt, who the producers
wisely managed to photograph in a bikini. A special edition DVD of the movie has just been released that includes
two rather nice making of docs, Bullock’s funny commentary, a couple of deleted scenes and a camp “Do You Have
What It Takes To Be A Beauty Queen?” quiz hosted by Shatner (I passed with flying colors, natch). The release
also includes a nice little marketing idea: a complimentary movie ticket to the sequel, Miss Congeniality 2:
Armed and Dangerous.
As the sequel begins, it’s three weeks after the pageant has ended and Bullock’s sudden fame has given her
beleaguered boss, Ernie Hudson, an idea to turn her into the new face of the FBI. But first, of course, the Queer
Eye rip off character needs to make with the make over and we flash forward ten months after Bullock has
morphed into a fashion and style icon and writer of best sellers. But duty soon calls and Bullock, chained to a tough
body guard with anger management issues (played in typical, “You talkin’ to me” style by Regina King), responds,
this time using her wits while looking fabulous to stay three steps ahead of everyone else while appearing to be
three steps behind.
Most of the action takes place in Las Vegas with one major scene set in a drag club. I found this to be an amiable
little comedy, not far removed from the Bette Midler female buddy comedies of the 80s (and I was happy when the
always testy King was finally softened near the end of the picture) though I think a moratorium on drag clubs being
used for comedic purposes needs to be enacted immediately. I was happy that Ernie Hudson, William Shatner and
Heather Burns (as the ditzy Miss United States) returned for the sequel but substituting Mr. Bratt’s character (not
to mention his bikini) in the life of Agent Hart with the one played by Ms. King was a grave error on the producer’s
part.
Dark Doings and Gambling for Laughs in Las Vegas
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