Bad things happen in Chinatown

Rating: 9/10 (4 January 2009)

Jake Gittes is a Los Angeles detective who's hired by a woman claiming to be Mrs. Mulwray.She asks him to spy on her husband.Soon the real Mrs. Mulwray appears and we begin to find out about a conspiracy centering on water management, state and municipal corruption, land use and real estate.No Jake or anybody else around him is safe anymore.Chinatown (1974) is a brilliant modern film-noir, neo-noir as we should call it.It has the same elements as did the ones made thirty years earlier but some things have changed since those days.The movie is directed by Roman Polanski, who's also seen in this film as Man with Knife.Robert Towne won an Oscar for the Best Original Screenplay.Jack Nicholson is perfect as J.J. Gittes who has to wear a plaster on his nose after Polanski slashes it.Faye Dunaway does a fantastic job as Evelyn Cross Mulwray.John Huston plays her evil husband Noah Cross brilliantly.Diane Ladd is Ida Sessions, the woman claiming to be Mrs. Mulwray.Bruce Glover plays Duffy.James Hong is Kahn.Noble Willingham is Councilman.Rance Howard plays the part of Irate Farmer at Council Meeting and Burt Young is Curly.Chinatown is full of classic dialogue and memorable scenes.The ending is shocking.