|
"What's My Fortune,
Cookie?" |
 |
Directed by Roman
Polanski - Written by
Robert Towne
Starring Jack Nicholson,
Faye Dunaway, John
Huston
Distributed by Paramount -
1974 - 131mins - Rated R |
| |
|
A noir masterpiece! |
| |
The
thing that stands out the most for me about "Chinatown" is the music.
The music is by no means spectacular, but it is very good. The reason
it stands out is that it is never used to establish atmosphere.
Director Roman Polanski has already done that. 1930s Los Angeles is
established so well, that unlike some many other similar films, music
is not used as a crutch.
Jack Nicholson is JJ Gittes, a private investigator who takes a case
and gets in over his head (things get really serious during the famous
scene where Gittes gets his nose nearly cut off). Summarizing the plot
here is impossible, because there is no straight storyline. The plot
is an onion, and with every layer removed, the film changes it's
appearance entirely.
Okay, forget about what Roman Polanksi did in reality (he fled the
country after a statutory rape charge) and just admire him as the
artist he really is. Some of the best film directors came out of the
1970s (Coppola, Scorsese, Spielberg, etc) and while Polanski may be
the least popular of them, he right up there in talent. Although shot
rather simply, it's the simplicity of the shots that allow the
complex, exciting (and Oscar winning) script to shine through.
Nicholson gives one of his best, and most underrated performances.
Faye Dunaway is great as the female lead. John Huston is frightening
as the villain. Everything is so consistent, and well shot, that the
story and acting show up the best. This is very humble directing, and
it's nice to see.
A great film noir, and a great film, "Chinatown" is worth any film
fan's time. It doesn't have any glaring faults, but it's just an B+for
me. |
| |
|
© Written by Jacob Hall -
Email
Me! |
TC Candler's Comment
n/a
Richard Propes' Comment
This film won awards out the Wazoo (What is a
wazoo anyway?) in 1974. Still, it ended up with
mostly nominations in the Oscar race, with a
lone win for Best Original Screenplay by Robert
Towne. Nominations for Jack Nicholson, Faye
Dunaway and director Roman Polanski all came up
empty. Still, this film was a remarkable piece
of work. Many would argue it as Polanski's best,
at least until he won the Oscar for "The
Pianist" this year. This film is a stunning
work.
|
