Graphic Novel to Film.

I am a huge fan of book-to-film adaptations. I know how people feel about it, they hate it, "it was nothing like the book!" they cry. But sometimes these two very different mediums can come together to create something that blurs the line between them. Books are private (after the age of seven, anyway), usually written by one person in private to be read by one person in private who is left to use their own imagination, picturing the characters and scenery in a very personal way. It is a conversation between two people, the author and the reader. Movies, on the other hand are a communal experience. They are created by a large group of people and experienced by the public, whether in a crowded movie theater, or in a living room, the images are the same. While different people may take different things from the same movie, on the whole, the experiences, the imagery, the dialogue is exactly the same. Then, there is the graphic novel, picture books for grown ups. But, even with pictures, the images are never photo-real, instead they create atmosphere, a glimpse into the imagination of the author, the reader is still left with plenty of room to fill in the blanks.

I finally saw "Sin City"!! "Shot and Cut by Robert Rodriguez" there is no better way to put it. How can one forget the special features from "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" where Rodriguez takes you on a tour of his garage where he edits, adds visual effects, and scores his films? Fabulous! Rodriguez's style of film making, digital worlds being nothing new for him, is brilliant and, in my humble opinion, there is no one else who could have done Frank Miller's world justice. Of course having the author as a co-director can't hurt either. I'm a mild graphic novel geek, who has not read Miller's Sin City series (yet), but I know that the translation of the graphic novel medium to film can be either fantastic ("300") or down right ridiculous ("League of Extraordinary Gentlemen"). Luckily this movie rocks the genre. I'm not a film critic, I don't know the technical terms, but I know what I like. Sin City was surprisingly funny, for such a gritty world. I never thought I would find serial murder, cannibalism and corruption so entertaining.

J.