It's hard to know what to say about The Black Dahlia. It's based on the book by crime writer James Ellroy, which is in turn based on a famous unsolved murder case of the late 1940s. Though unfamiliar on this side of the Atlantic, the case is a sort-of LA equivalent of the Jack the Ripper murders. The victim was a young would-be actress whose body was found cut in two across the middle, her mouth carved into a terrifying rictus. If this description is enough for you, it's probably best that you don't go and see this film.

The main characters are two tough cops who also box – nicknamed 'Mr. Fire' and 'Mr. Ice' for their disparate temperaments. They are assigned to the case of the murdered girl – herself the bearer of the eponymous floral nickname. One of them gets too involved with the case, while the other gets too involved with his partner's girlfriend. Needless to say, as the story progresses 'dark secrets' are revealed. You know the type of thing. Hartnett and Eckhart make for a good combination as Fire and Ice, with the former convincingly playing the pugilistic policeman with a combination of Brando and DiCaprio. As is often the case with cinema's hard men, these 'close friends' seem more devoted to each other than the selection of dames available.

Despite being heavily featured in the publicity, Scarlett Johansson has virtually nothing to do in The Black Dahlia; her part is 'the girlfriend' and little else. For this, De Palma wins the year's 'wasting talent' award. The plumb female roles go to Hilary Swank, who impresses as a rich wannabe femme fatale, and Mia Kirshner, who plays the murder victim through filmed and photographic evidence. First-rate Irish thespians John Kavanagh and Fiona Shaw deserve mention for their performance as an eccentric rich couple, though the excess of Shaw's scenery-chewing can only be compared with Bette Davis's turn in Roy Ward Baker's The Anniversary. A consummate professional, it is possible that Shaw was driven to perform at farce pitch by some of the story's more risible twists.

Brian De Palma's career has been described as hit-and-miss, and this film is both. It's slick, well-lit, and full marks go to production design maestro Dante Ferretti for his flawless recreation of 1940s Hollywood. On the downside, the scoring is a little obvious and the restless camera can get a bit wearing. And those of you waiting for De Palma's traditional nod to Hitchcock won't be disappointed. Overall, The Black Dahlia is not the worst film you will see this year. Despite some silly plot twists, it leaves you with a genuine feeling that we live in a world populated by heartless self-serving creeps – and that can't be all bad, can it?

Lir Mac Cárthaigh

Rated TBC (see IFCO website for details)
The Black Dahlia is released on 15th Septemeber 2006.
The Black Dahlia – Official website