After seeing The Black Dahlia, I immediately began chatting with God. I knew He wouldnÕt give me back the 2.06 hours of life I had just wasted watching this film. But I thought it was reasonable to ask if He would just let me live long enough to see another, hopefully, much better movie. That way I wouldn't enter eternity with the flashback of this film as the last image of my life. How is it possible for someone as skilled as Brian De Palma to release something so disjointed and incomprehensible? ItÕs a mystery even bigger than the "unsolved" murder within the film. Though much of the story is forgettable, there are two very enjoyable performances. The first is by Hilary Swank who plays a sexy (yes, sexy) and deeply disturbed heiress. Her swagger and aloof superiority would set even Katherine Hepburn back on her heels. The other is by Mia Kirshner, who plays Elizabeth Short, the filmÕs victim. Though she's only seen for a short time in archived screen tests as her murder is being investigated, she exudes more life than most of the ÒlivingÓ actors in the film. Yes, this is a bad film. But there's a much bigger tragedy here. Like the music business, the movie business is in decline. My fear is that of the thousands of people who pay to see this movie, a number of them will stomp out and decide never to spend another penny in a cinema again. That would be a great loss for them as well as a tragedy for the movie business. So here's my suggestion. Universal should place an employee outside each screening to apologize to every patron as they exit, and then hand him or her a complete refund. Perhaps they can even toss in a Snickers bar for good measure. Ñ Richard Krzemien


Recommended:
No

Video Occasion: None of the Above
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age