Sin City

1) Graphic novel by Frank Miller. 2) Movie based on parts of the novel and directed by Miller and Robert Rodriguez. The setting is the fictitious Basin City, its popular name marked out by some slashes on a road sign. The women are either cute or out-and-out goddesses, and the guys are ... interesting. Jessica Alba is exotic dancer Nancy Callaghan. Devon Aoki is the mute guardian angel of the red light district, skilled with any kind of weapon you care to mention short of a nuke; if you gotta go, she'll take you out in style. Rosario Dawson is indeed a Valkyrie. Benicio del Toro is a gormless thug. Clive Owen is Dwight McCarthy, your average unforgettable noir antihero. Mickey Rourke is Marv, think Arnold Schwarzenegger only without that accent and a lot grittier. Nick Stahl gets yellower by the minute. Elijah Wood is Kevin, a mute cannibal with a yen for martial arts; in a smart career move, about as far from Frodo Baggins as you could imagine. (However great Peter Jackson's work is, you don't want to get typecast.) Also starring Alexis Bledel, Michael Clarke Duncan, Josh Hartnett, Jaime King, Michael Madsen, Powers Boothe and Rutger Hauer. Filmed in black and white with colour highlights, this one is an out-and-out gem. Its sequel is set to screen in 2009.