The Black Dahlia could have been something pretty awesome, but sadly, it was just a bit too much, and just not all that.

A fictional movie with a real situation thrown in probably isn’t too easy to write. I don’t know. But James Elroy wrote a novel about the infamous “Black Dahlia” unsolved murder from the late 40’s. What I don’t know is how much he made up, and then how much of the novel made it to the screen in this adaptation by Josh Friedman and directed by Brian De Palma.

Like he did some in SIN CITY, Josh Hartnett narrates this neo-noir flick, and he is very good and quite likable as Bucky, a good cop and part time boxer. Aaron Eckhart is excellent as always, this time playing a troubled, obsessive cop and Bucky’s partner. Scarlett Johansson isn’t bad either, but she didn’t really impress me much. Hilary Swank was a bit cartoony, but that’s how she was written, so oh well. Mia Kirshner is yummy and kinda likable in a slightly sympathetic role as the titular character, real name of Elizabeth Short. I felt sorry for her, and not just because of how she ultimately ends up either.
Oh, and there are lots of lesbians and even Harry Potter’s bitchy Aunt Petunia’s in here too. Weird.

Look, I don’t know what too say. It was just too weird and not all that interesting considering the possibilities, and maybe had there been more about the victim’s life, and less like a campy noir send-up.
It’s not bad too look at, but it’s just not all that.