Master storyteller Brian De Palma, known for such classic crime dramas as The Untouchables, Scarface and Carlito’s Way, as well as his suspense thrillers Carrie, Dressed to Kill and Blow Out, directs this adaptation of James Ellroy’s best-selling crime novel. The Black Dahlia weaves a fictionalized tale of obsession, love, corruption, greed and depravity around the true story of the brutal murder of a fledgling Hollywood starlet that shocked and fascinated the nation in 1947 and remains unsolved today. Two ex-pugilist cops, Lee Blanchard (Aaron Eckhart) and Bucky Bleichert (Josh Hartnett), are called to investigate the homicide of ambitious silver-screen B-lister Betty Ann Short (Mia Kirshner) A.K.A. “The Black Dahlia”--an attack so grisly that images of the killing were kept from the public.

While Blanchard’s growing preoccupation with the sensational murder threatens his marriage to Kay (Scarlett Johansson), his partner Bleichert finds himself attracted to the enigmatic Madeleine Linscott (two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank), the daughter of one of the city’s most prominent families--who just happens to have an unsavory connection to the murder victim. True crime meets urban legend when De Palma brings Ellroy’s The Black Dahlia to the big screen. Though this ambitious noir crime-drama captures the atmosphere of its era, it suffers from subpar performances, a convoluted story, and the inevitable comparisons to other, more successful films of its genre.

The Black Dahlia

Starring: Josh Harnett & Scarlett Johansson

Director: Brian De Palma

Company: Universal

Now Showing: In area Theatres

MPAA Rating - R

Grade: D+

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