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Chinatown Customer Reviews (1 - 3 of 71 Reviews)

"Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown..."
Some movies you just appreciate more with age. What I mean is that there are movies you see when you're younger and you don't fully appreciate them or admire how well crafted they are. This was the case with "Chinatown" for me. I saw it many years ago for the first time, and while I enjoyed it somewhat, at the time I thought it was long, slow and dreadfully bleak at the end. Of course, I didn't get the point that that's what "Chinatown" is supposed to be, and that's why it's brilliant. I watched it recently for the second time, and I fell in love with it. Absolute love.

A younger Jack Nicholson plays a private investigator, Jake Gittes. Normally, he deals with cases that involve suspected adultery, so it's no surprise when a Mrs. Mulwray asks for his help. What does surprise him is that she is married to Hollis Mulwray, a chief engineer of the water department. What else is not up to par is the fact that the woman really wasn't Mrs. Mulwray, but somebody pretending to be her. Curious, Jake goes deeper into the case to see what's really what, but it's not before long that Hollis ends up dead, and Jake has no idea what's the score or who it is he can trust. This is just the basics of the movie. What follows is a very complex plot filled with twists and turns that lead Jake to a place he thought he would never have to return to... Chinatown.

As I said before, the first time I saw this I thought it was an okay movie, mainly because I love Nicholson in it. Now, I can watch the movie with older and wiser eyes and I can truly admire and appreciate the labor of love this film really is. I didn't find myself bored with it at all, and in fact I could've watched another two hours if the story chose to go that far. The reason for that is the cast and the writing really sells it. It's not so much the plot that's the star of the picture, it's the characters and the people who play them. Hell, the plot could've involved a simple pick-pocket and I would've still found myself captivated by it because you enjoy the trip the characters give you. The film takes its time and doesn't rush. It's not afraid of silence and it doesn't find itself having to go for silly non-stop car chases or shoot-outs to keep the viewer entertained.

While everybody is great in this movie, Nicholson really steals every scene, and the great thing is that he doesn't try to steal it. He could stand still, just observing a quiet room and your eyes never leave him. I don't think the movie would've worked if he wasn't the lead man in it. Faye Dunaway also does a superb job, and you know she does because you really don't know how much you can trust her, and that's exactly what Nicholson's character goes through. The DVD is pretty basic. Other than a little retrospective with Roman Polanski, Robert Towne and Robert Evans, and a theatrical trailer, there aren't a lot of bells and whistles. The picture looks good for it being so old. I'm hoping that they'll release a special edition sometime in the near future, as this is an important film that deserves such a treatment.

"Chinatown" is one of those movies that you find yourself appreciating more and more the older you get. It's a classic, and it's easy to see why it is. It's exciting without a high body count or loud and pointless chases (sure, there is violence and there are chases, but they are used very carefully and only for the right reasons). The film reminds us that if you have the characters and the right actors, you could watch them for hours without yawning once. I'm glad I took the trip again. I would've missed out big time had I not decided to revisit "Chinatown." Put this one on your list if you haven't seen it already. Even if you don't end up loving it or liking it, it is something worth seeing at least once. -Michael Crane

Simply a Masterpiece
One of the best movies ever made. Jack at his finest. Any serious movie fan needs to own this. That is all.

One of the Best Films Ever Made
Oscar Winning director Roman Polanski's (Best Director, 'The Pianist') "Chinatown," is a complete, undisputed masterpiece from the great director. The movie is number 19 on The American Film Institute's Top 100 and won the 1974 Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. I'm usually not a huge fan of AFI's picks (that's kind of a lie. Pulp Fiction, Taxi Driver, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Fargo, Unforgiven are some of my favorite films), but I enjoyed this movie a lot more than I thought I would. Three time Oscar winner Jack Nicholson plays Jake Gittes, a private eye and former cop working in Los Angeles. Gittes is hired by a woman named Mrs. Mulwray to investigate whether her husband is having an affair. After investigating the man, who works really high up at the Water Company, he discovers that the man appears to be having an affair and the pictures end up in the newspaper.
At which point he meets Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway), the real wife of Mr. Mulwray; Turns out someone posing as her hired Gittes. Shortly after, Mr. Mulwray dies; But Gittes is unsatisfied with the cause of death, being an "accident." As Gittes investigates further, he uncovers conspiracies, cover-ups, and several other plot twists that you still see echoes of in film 32 years later. That's right, this film is 32 years old. While watching it, I really did notice things (from dialogue to plot twists to plot line) that have been used in movies after this film. This movie is very influential. But it's also entertaining and genuinely surprising. Nicholson and Dunaway give some of their best performances and the dialogue is spectacular. Polanski is a very talented director when it comes to making audiences feel tension. Roger Ebert put it best "The whole movie is a tour-de-force." Which is very very true. This is one of the best films I've ever seen and any film buff should agree with me.
I can not urge you enough to see this movie.

GRADE: A+

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