bergma15@msu.edu
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bergma15@msu.edu's rating
Chinatown is not so much a movie as it is an experience. To date, it is probably my favorite film. I've always enjoyed film noir, especially the old Bogart films. Chinatown draws strongly from that tradition, but comes from a European director's (Polanski) perspective. The film is highly stylized and seems to draw the classic old detective formula perfectly into the downbeat, sometimes depressing, but artistic style of the 1970s.
The story is that Jake Gittes (Nicholson) is an LA private investigator hired by Mrs. Evelyn Mulwray to investigate whether her husband, the head of Water and Power for the city, is having an affair. Mulwray is already the subject of controversy due to his reluctance to build a new dam during a city water shortage. After Gittes uncovers what appears to be an affair, the real Mrs. Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) comes forward and sues Gittes. Gittes quickly tries to persuade her that he was set up and wants to warn Mulwray. However, before he can do so, Mulwray is found dead at a reservoir. Mrs. Mulwray hires Gittes to investigate her husband's death after he convinces her that her husband was murdered.
I really enjoyed the interplay between the actors. Nicholson and Dunaway play very well off of each other, but John Huston, who plays Noah Cross, gives a fantastic performance. Mr. Cross is Evelyn's father who hires Gittes to find Mulwray's girlfriend. Huston walks a fine line perfectly of being both charming and brutally dangerous at the same time. Throughout the film, Gittes has to evade goons trying to do him some harm over his investigation into Mulwray's murder and police Lieutentant Escobar (Perry Lopez) who he worked with in Chinatown. Escobar's demeanor towards Gittes definitely indicates that Gittes has a bad past. I also really enjoyed Roman Polanski's cameo as a knife wielding thug, which is a brief but memorable appearance for Gittes.
The style of the film adds greatly to its effectiveness. Rather than use voice-over narration, as is often done in detective films, the audience discovers clues at the same time Gittes does. In addition, the richness of the plot keeps the viewer guessing, but does not get distracting as some detective films would. However, to really understand the title, you have to watch the whole film.
This film was really a sleeper for everyone involved. Roman Polanski (director), Robert Towne (writer), and Robert Evans (producer) had prior to its release believed they had a colossal flop. However, the film came together beautifully. The cast was excellent, from the lead roles down to the extras. The direction was great and the story, although altered by Polanski from the original script, really put emphasized the downbeat nature of the subject material.
This is a must watch for anyone.
The story is that Jake Gittes (Nicholson) is an LA private investigator hired by Mrs. Evelyn Mulwray to investigate whether her husband, the head of Water and Power for the city, is having an affair. Mulwray is already the subject of controversy due to his reluctance to build a new dam during a city water shortage. After Gittes uncovers what appears to be an affair, the real Mrs. Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) comes forward and sues Gittes. Gittes quickly tries to persuade her that he was set up and wants to warn Mulwray. However, before he can do so, Mulwray is found dead at a reservoir. Mrs. Mulwray hires Gittes to investigate her husband's death after he convinces her that her husband was murdered.
I really enjoyed the interplay between the actors. Nicholson and Dunaway play very well off of each other, but John Huston, who plays Noah Cross, gives a fantastic performance. Mr. Cross is Evelyn's father who hires Gittes to find Mulwray's girlfriend. Huston walks a fine line perfectly of being both charming and brutally dangerous at the same time. Throughout the film, Gittes has to evade goons trying to do him some harm over his investigation into Mulwray's murder and police Lieutentant Escobar (Perry Lopez) who he worked with in Chinatown. Escobar's demeanor towards Gittes definitely indicates that Gittes has a bad past. I also really enjoyed Roman Polanski's cameo as a knife wielding thug, which is a brief but memorable appearance for Gittes.
The style of the film adds greatly to its effectiveness. Rather than use voice-over narration, as is often done in detective films, the audience discovers clues at the same time Gittes does. In addition, the richness of the plot keeps the viewer guessing, but does not get distracting as some detective films would. However, to really understand the title, you have to watch the whole film.
This film was really a sleeper for everyone involved. Roman Polanski (director), Robert Towne (writer), and Robert Evans (producer) had prior to its release believed they had a colossal flop. However, the film came together beautifully. The cast was excellent, from the lead roles down to the extras. The direction was great and the story, although altered by Polanski from the original script, really put emphasized the downbeat nature of the subject material.
This is a must watch for anyone.
I love this movie. I don't think I'd put it as my favorite, but it definitely is in the top 10. Everything was superb. Director John Huston, actors Sean Connery, Michael Caine, and Christopher Plummer, the supporting cast, the story, everything.
The story is that Peachy (Caine) has returned to India to tell Rudyard Kipling (Plummer) about his adventure with Danny (Connery). Kipling had earlier met Peachy when Peachy tried to return his watch after stealing it (All three men are Freemasons, so Peachy's theft was taboo). Peachy and Danny have hatched a plot to blackmail a local Rajah, which Kipling turns in to save them from punishment. Later, Peachy and Danny, who are ex-soldiers, ask Kipling to witness a contract between them that they will venture to become kings of Kafiristan (a then mysterious province in current day Afghanistan) rather than stay in India or return to Britian. Before leaving, Kipling gives Danny his watch charm (the masonic square and compasses) for good luck. The rest of the story, is told by Peachy as he recounts the journey he and Danny took to get to Kafiristan and their subsequent attempt to become rulers of that land.
The cast certainly is strong. Some of the supporting cast are unknowns, such as Karroom Ben Bouih as the High Priest (his only film role at the age of 103), or Doghmi Larbi as Ootah, and the relatively unknown Shakira Caine (Mrs. Michael Caine) as Roxanne. Saeed Jaffrey who plays Gurkha Billy Fish is relatively unknown to the United States, but has a very strong acting resume (the first Asian to receive an OBE for services to drama). This is added to by a rich stable of stand-ins who look as close to the real thing as one can get. This adds to the already powerful performances by Connery and Caine.
Director John Huston certainly did a fantastic job on this film. It may not be as well known as "The Maltese Falcon" or "The Treasure of Sierra Madre," but it delivers as powerful of a performance as either of those two films. Huston shows in this that he never lost a step as a director or a story teller (he co-wrote the screenplay).
What I really enjoy about this movie is that it has quite a few masonic overtones. Kipling was a Freemason and certainly put masonic content into all his stories (in this film it is a major plot point). However, this story is enjoyable and poignant regardless of whether you are a Mason.
The story is that Peachy (Caine) has returned to India to tell Rudyard Kipling (Plummer) about his adventure with Danny (Connery). Kipling had earlier met Peachy when Peachy tried to return his watch after stealing it (All three men are Freemasons, so Peachy's theft was taboo). Peachy and Danny have hatched a plot to blackmail a local Rajah, which Kipling turns in to save them from punishment. Later, Peachy and Danny, who are ex-soldiers, ask Kipling to witness a contract between them that they will venture to become kings of Kafiristan (a then mysterious province in current day Afghanistan) rather than stay in India or return to Britian. Before leaving, Kipling gives Danny his watch charm (the masonic square and compasses) for good luck. The rest of the story, is told by Peachy as he recounts the journey he and Danny took to get to Kafiristan and their subsequent attempt to become rulers of that land.
The cast certainly is strong. Some of the supporting cast are unknowns, such as Karroom Ben Bouih as the High Priest (his only film role at the age of 103), or Doghmi Larbi as Ootah, and the relatively unknown Shakira Caine (Mrs. Michael Caine) as Roxanne. Saeed Jaffrey who plays Gurkha Billy Fish is relatively unknown to the United States, but has a very strong acting resume (the first Asian to receive an OBE for services to drama). This is added to by a rich stable of stand-ins who look as close to the real thing as one can get. This adds to the already powerful performances by Connery and Caine.
Director John Huston certainly did a fantastic job on this film. It may not be as well known as "The Maltese Falcon" or "The Treasure of Sierra Madre," but it delivers as powerful of a performance as either of those two films. Huston shows in this that he never lost a step as a director or a story teller (he co-wrote the screenplay).
What I really enjoy about this movie is that it has quite a few masonic overtones. Kipling was a Freemason and certainly put masonic content into all his stories (in this film it is a major plot point). However, this story is enjoyable and poignant regardless of whether you are a Mason.
This is beyond a doubt my favorite Chevy Chase movie. I know some people out there don't really care for Chevy's work, but this movie is not Chevy Chase acting like Clark Griswald. In this movie, Chevy plays a newspaper reporter who is investigating some pretty big crimes. What really makes the film good is that Chevy is funny, but smart at the same time.
The film starts off with Irwin M. "Fletch" Fletcher (Chevy Chase) investigating drug trafficking on the beach in LA. He is picked up by a yuppie called Alan Stanwyk (Tim Matheson). Stanwyk tells Fletch, who Stanwyk thinks is a junkie named Ted Nugent, that he has bone cancer and wants Fletch to kill him so his wife can collect an insurance policy. Through the rest of the movie, Fletch has to find out whether Stanwyk is serious and why the chief of police (Joe Don Baker) wants him to stop his investigation on the drug trafficking.
The reason I like this movie so much is that it is one of the 1980s movies where an actor who was previously only known for comedy is now playing a more serious character. To a large extent, Fletch is to Chevy Chase what Axel Foley is to Eddie Murphy. Like Axel Foley, Fletch is a really funny character, but also shows intelligence and resourcefulness in difficult situations.
Through the movie, Fletch uses a string of aliases and disguises that provide comic relief to a film that could have been a pretty gripping drama. My favorites are Gordon Liddy the airplane mechanic, Mr. Poon from the SEC, and John Cocktoston the tennis player attempting to woo Mrs. Stanwyk (Dana Wheeler-Nicholson) while charging expensive lunches to Mr. and Mrs. Underhill at the exclusive club. Also look out for Gilette (George Wyner), the attorney for the former Mrs. Fletcher who provides the straight man for some pretty funny jokes. Oh, and some unknown actress named Geena Davis playing Larry, one of Fletch's allies against his boss Frank (Richard Libertini) at the newspaper. I would go into more, but there's too much in this movie to shake a stick at.
If you want to see a funny movie with a serious plot, watch Fletch.
The film starts off with Irwin M. "Fletch" Fletcher (Chevy Chase) investigating drug trafficking on the beach in LA. He is picked up by a yuppie called Alan Stanwyk (Tim Matheson). Stanwyk tells Fletch, who Stanwyk thinks is a junkie named Ted Nugent, that he has bone cancer and wants Fletch to kill him so his wife can collect an insurance policy. Through the rest of the movie, Fletch has to find out whether Stanwyk is serious and why the chief of police (Joe Don Baker) wants him to stop his investigation on the drug trafficking.
The reason I like this movie so much is that it is one of the 1980s movies where an actor who was previously only known for comedy is now playing a more serious character. To a large extent, Fletch is to Chevy Chase what Axel Foley is to Eddie Murphy. Like Axel Foley, Fletch is a really funny character, but also shows intelligence and resourcefulness in difficult situations.
Through the movie, Fletch uses a string of aliases and disguises that provide comic relief to a film that could have been a pretty gripping drama. My favorites are Gordon Liddy the airplane mechanic, Mr. Poon from the SEC, and John Cocktoston the tennis player attempting to woo Mrs. Stanwyk (Dana Wheeler-Nicholson) while charging expensive lunches to Mr. and Mrs. Underhill at the exclusive club. Also look out for Gilette (George Wyner), the attorney for the former Mrs. Fletcher who provides the straight man for some pretty funny jokes. Oh, and some unknown actress named Geena Davis playing Larry, one of Fletch's allies against his boss Frank (Richard Libertini) at the newspaper. I would go into more, but there's too much in this movie to shake a stick at.
If you want to see a funny movie with a serious plot, watch Fletch.