While also working on another case involving a child rapist, the two detectives end up at the murder scene of Elizabeth "Betty" Short (MIA KIRSHNER), an aspiring actress who was beaten to death, cut in half, disemboweled, and sliced ear to ear. As Lee becomes obsessed with and tangled up by the multiple cases -- putting pressure on his relationship with Kay -- Bucky focuses on the actress' murder, with the press referring to her as "The Black Dahlia."
His investigation leads to his viewing of her previous audition clips for an unseen stag film director (voice of BRIAN DE PALMA) and her appearance in such shorts with fellow aspiring actress Lorna Mertz (JEMIMA ROOPER). That trail eventually leads to bisexual femme fatale Madeleine Linscott (HILARY SWANK) whose parents -- Emmett (JOHN KAVANAGH) and Ramona (FIONA SHAW) -- aren't exactly role models for mental stability.
With Lee progressively unraveling and Bucky ending up having flings with both Kay and Madeleine, the detective tries to figure out who murdered Betty and why.
Violence includes several murders (via gunfire, being sliced, a bad fall, etc.) and the grotesque visual results of a woman's butchered body (cut in half, among other things, including her face being sliced up). Other fighting is seen, as is a suicide via gunshot, while there's some hard boxing violence. Those scenes and others have varying amounts of bloody/gory results, while they and other moments of potential peril may be unsettling or suspenseful to viewers (particularly those sensitive to such material).
Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, while some smoke throughout the film and/or drink, and there's talk of "hop-heads" and drug use/abuse. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.
For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there's some camera movement from time to time in the film.
All Rights Reserved,
(2006) (Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson) (R)
Alcohol/
DrugsBlood/Gore
Disrespectful/
Bad AttitudeFrightening/
Tense ScenesGuns/
Weapons
Heavy
Extreme
Extreme
Moderate
Extreme
Imitative
BehaviorJump
ScenesMusic
(Scary/Tense)Music
(Inappropriate)Profanity
Mild
None
Extreme
Moderate
Extreme
Sex/
NuditySmoking
Tense Family
ScenesTopics To
Talk AboutViolence
Extreme
Extreme
Moderate
Heavy
Extreme
CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.
(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).
Reviewed September 11, 2006/ Posted September 15, 2006
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