Review of Chinatown (1974) by Spangle — 18 Jun 2014

This one was great, even if I did not love the ending. Jack Nicholson's performance here is awesome as if Faye Dunaway's. Both really command attention when on sceen and truly kill their roles. In addition, despite what you may think of the man, Roman Polanski directs this one perfectly.

The cinematography is also great as it really manages to perfectly capture the look and feel of old Los Angeles and, most impressively, makes this film look timeless. Honestly, it fits in perfectly with the films that came before, but could be passed off as a newer film at the same time.

The story is great as well, thanks not just to the acting, but to a great script as well. The revealing of the facts from the lies in this mystery thriller is perfectly executed and makes the film extremely to watch as you try to figure out exactly what happened here.

However, the only drawback here for me is the ending. I am ok with the mood they were going for, but really, the way the events transpired left me feeling unsatisfied to a degree. Now, it does not outweigh the greatness before, but I just wish the ending was a bit better for my liking.

In spite of that, Chinatown is a great, near perfect neo-noir film that does not feel aged in the least.