stylish but absurd

Rating: 9/10 (27 September 2003)

***MILD SPOILERS*** This is a stylishly directed and perfectly acted by Nicholson movie,and these are the reasons so many people love it.The problem with this movie is the story.The Huston scheme is discussed in simply two lines. When Nicholson tells him "there are going to be a lot of p***ed people when they find out that they paid 8 million dollars for water they are not going to get",Huston answers "thats all been taken care off".And thats it.I dont think that building a damm and redirecting water can be so easy,without anybody minding that they are not going to have water to drink!!! Then when Nicholson finally realizes that Cross is the villain,as if it is so difficult to know who runs things-everybody knows in a small town like LA was in the 30's-instead of trying to stop him he accepts to work for him and ends up helping him find the girl and destroy Dunaway.Basically,if Gittes had not involved himself Dunaway would have fled with her daughter.Gittes is the reason for the entire tragedy!!! This movie is really stupid.We follow Gittes,uncovering the truth because he wont accept to stop,and then we see he is a complete moran and doesnt know what to do with it.