A marvellous film with lots of marvellous things

Rating: 9/10 (25 April 2015)

Rating-9/10
Chinatown is a classic movie that is still talked of today as one of the very best. To be fair there is no doubting that this is superbly acted and the same goes for the writing and directing which all together makes this a fine film in cinema history. It also stays a mystery and never gives up the ending easily and leaves you not only guessing but also thinking about all the intricate details going on.
Now Chinatown doesn't have the most exciting story, or maybe the premise doesn't seem exciting but the movie itself is good when it comes to the depth involved. The story is so well researched and so well put together, you don't need big thrills and gunshots everywhere to be made to enjoy this piece. I think one big thing about the plot is it's level of detail as mentioned as it is just overly detailed and really makes the plot thicker if anything.
Jack Nicholson portrays J.J. Gittes with a certain ease In his demeanour and a kind of worked out character that seems planned and as if Nicholson put a lot of work in before taking the role. Cast such as Faye Dunaway do a top job too here and she seems calm and yet her character is very complex and hard to figure out what's going on with her, the certain chemistry if you will between Nicholson and Dunaway could be analysed over and over and you can really see Gittes does not understand her fully.
Robert Towne the writer creates a script that is considered among the very best in cinema, and I mean worldwide. It is calm and calculated and Towne makes a screenplay something more than well, a screenplay, he creates drama and intrigue in all the right places. The script is slow but somehow Towne makes it exciting in a way and lets you watch with an air of what's next around the corner, just a top job from a top writer.
The neo-noir style is in abundance, but it is safe in it's pickings of where to put it, it isn't overused in any case and when the biggest examples of neo-noir are seen, they work very well. I felt the score that is in line with the neo-noir style is a fine one and the late Jerry Goldsmith does a magnificent job in making quite bland and ordinary scenes seem yet again, exciting and also gives a lovely air of mystery even in the music.
You know many films we see the cinematography over looked and not really thought of as one of the highlights, but here it very much is the case and a big one. John Alonzo was nominated for an Oscar for his work but the fact that when people mention this they only go for the directing, writing and acting is an insult to the beautiful craft Alonzo creates. The shots are just so well timed and the close ups and very few cuts make this ahead of it's time in camera work for movies.
Overall I felt it to be firmly a brilliant movie and one that should stay with the viewer no matter what they felt about it. I do feel this is overrated and without shooting me here me out, I can see why people love this and it definitely isn't a mystery why, it is just I didn't find this exciting enough to be flawless, but is still a wonderful and glorious movie that even with just what I say, is still near the very top.