Watching CHINATOWN made me realize how many incredible movies there are that I still haven't seen. I am not sure how this movie slipped by me all these years, but thanks to a beautiful new Blu-Ray edition that just got released to Netflix, it finally demanded my attention. I have heard the hype for years but never got the opportunity to see it. So happy that it lived up to the hype and critical raves. Jack Nicholson plays Jake Gittes, a private investigator in the 1930's. He is approached by a woman to investigate the adulterous husband she is married to....and from there begins one of the most complex and brilliant mysteries I have ever seen. Nicholson is outstanding and is literally in every scene. One of his most subtle performances. Faye Dunaway is Evelyn Mulwray, a woman with nothing but mystery surrounding her. Dunaway looks gorgeous and also plays this unusually subtly for her. The supporting cast includes Diane Ladd, Burt Young, and a terrific performance from director John Huston in one of his few acting roles. I was completely taken with the story and surprised at what twists and turns awaited me. The final 3 minutes had me on the edge of the couch and the ending itself is shocking and not at all "Hollywood". When the film ended, I immediately went to Netflix and put its sequel THE TWO JAKES in my queue. I understand it's nowhere near what CHINATOWN is, but the fact that Robert Towne wrote it is enough for me. Towne won a well deserved Oscar for his incredible screenplay to CHINATOWN and the film garnered 10 other nominations including acting nods for Nicholson and Dunaway. I realize that I am probably one of the last to see CHINATOWN, but if you've never experienced it, rent it. Turn off the cell phone, put away the laptop, and allow yourself to take in every second uninterrupted. Roman Polanski has at least one masterpiece to his resume and CHINATOWN is it.
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