I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

The first must-see film of the year.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The Black Dahlia is a true based crime story based upon the investigation of murder of upstart Hollywood actress. As a film, it tries hard to be a 1940s-style film noir, but ends up bearing an uncanny resemblance to a comedy spoof. The self-serious dialogue, interspersed with goofy lines and goofier story turns one can only assume are knowing comic relief, is not only tonally destructible, but also an offensive, unsolved real-life crime. The film's pacing is quite slow and doesn't become interesting more than halfway through. With an unsettling ending, the film doesn't bring in enough intrigue or suspense of sorts.

The Black Dahlia (2006): Dir: Brian De Palma / Cast: Josh Hartnett, Aaron Eckhart, Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank, Mia Kirshner: Compelling thriller about the ugliness of greed, sex and corruption. Josh Hartnett and Aaron Eckhart play two cops investigating the murder of an actress yet things are far worse than they are. To gain its 1947 setting Brian De Palma uses tainted colour giving a noir appeal resulting in a film that comes as a cross between two other superb De Palma films, Dressed to Kill and The Untouchables. Hartnett narrates the story and becomes entangled with the crime as well as two women, however his solution may be questionable. Eckhart becomes obsessed with the case and detaching from his girlfriend. He is abusive towards her without knowing that his partner is pining after her. She is played by Scarlett Johansson who harbors feelings for Hartnett but endures the stress of her current relationship. Hilary Swank portrays a conniving female who looks like the murder victim. She will factor in with her family thus dragging Hartnett into further criminal decisions. Mia Kirshner plays the title subject under investigation because she is the deceased victim. Rich in its noir presentation with elements of early Hollywood and its dark side. De Palma once again delivers a thriller and his trademark combination of sex and murder. Score: 8 / 10

No. It wasn't just the presence of that little "dimple-chin", Aaron Eckhart, who ultimately ruined this utterly pretentious "Cop" movie for me. But Eckhart sure played a major part in bringing The Black Dahlia (TBD, for short) down to its sub-par level, but fast.TBD was the sort of below-average picture that quickly encouraged this viewer to keep his remote firmly in hand with index-finger waiting impatiently to press the fast-forward button at a split-second's notice.Here's a movie whose 2-hour running time could have easily been edited down to 90 minutes. And it's also a movie which proved that director Brian De Palma is clearly no longer a master of his craft as a film-maker (as he was once considered to be by many film buffs).As well - TBD was an atrociously dull and totally inaccurate re-telling of a true murder case that had shocked the public silly and sent the LAPD on a wild-goose chase back in 1947.Regardless of its $50 million budget and its meticulous attention to period detail, TBD was far from coming close to being a first-rate production on any level.And when it eventually came down to this film's final revelations (concerning the true identity of Elizabeth Short's murderer), it was such a stupid, laughable joke, that it wasn't even worth the 110-minute wait at all.

The only thing I got out of this is that Scarlett Johannson should at some point play Lana Turner."The Black Dahlia" is a 2006 Brian De Palma film starring Josh Hartnett, Aaron Eckhart, Scarlett Johannson, and Hillary Swank.However, don't let the title fool you. The 67-year-old unsolved Black Dahlia murder is only a subplot in this film, which primarily seems to be about the relationship between two former fighters turned homicide detectives, Bucky (Hartnett) and Lee Eckhart), and Lee's girlfriend Kay (ScarJo).In working on the Black Dahlia case in 1947 Los Angeles, Dwight gets mixed up with a wealthy but whacked out family, the Linscotts, where one of the daughters (Swank) resembles the Dahlia. Hillary Swank is a wonderful actress and a lovely woman, but she's not sexy, and I really didn't pick up any chemistry between her and Hartnett.The photography, atmosphere, and '40s depictions are of the highest quality. The story is gritty,slow, convoluted, and you really don't care about any of the characters. Style over substance.