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Please note: I saw this movie edited for TV, so my review may have been different if I saw it unedited.
Chinatown plays much like an old film-noir, except this is in color, which, for some reason, works very well. In it, Jack Nicholson plays Jake Gettes. He’s a private dick and is hired by Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) to look at her husband, since she thinks he’s cheating on her. He then gets involved in a murder case and something with losing water in L.A. (which was quite smaller in the 40’s, I learned).
Don’t watch this alone! Actually, what I mean by that is watch it with someone else so you can ask them questions during the film. I’m glad I had that advantage. It’s a really entertaining movie that also keeps you enthralled, not knowing what’s going to happen next. Yet, it deservedly won its Best Original Screenply, which includes one-liners like: “Is that your phone number?” “I don’t know, I don’t call myself that often.” I laughed a couple times, which lightened the mood. I liked the mystery; I kept on guessing, but in the last half hour or so, I decided to just stop and let the entertainment speak for itself.
Nicholson did a very good job, what with the sliced nose and all. He made me believe that he was a P.I. The camerawork, though nothing impressive, showed us the timepiece, and I really thought I was in the 40’s, set in some old noir that came to color. I supposed that was director Roman Polanski’s idea all along. By the way, Polanski has a cameo as the hood who slices Jake’s nose. Dunaway seemed to be perfect for the part, at least on what I’ve seen in the few old noirs I’ve seen.
The reason I didn’t give Chinatown a higher rating is that I found myself playing with a paper clip a few times. I also wasn’t really “thrilled” much, just into the mystery. The music was scarce but it was effective. I wish I could say more, but my memory’s hazy, so I’ll leave you with just saying “see it”!
Rated R for language and violence.
Review Date: February 18, 2003