Bring you down to Chinatown.

Rating: 9/10 (19 July 2004)

Yet once again Jack Nicholson shows us how it's done by simply doing what he does best, playing himself. Chinatown is a unique and fairly impressive noir piece that I was only recently able to see. Much like L.A. Confidential, CT throws us right into the mix of the old days, very convincingly, through great cinematography and perfect set pieces.
Chinatown is fairly effective creating a mysterious atmosphere by using shady characters of questionable backgrounds and a story that holds much more to it than what's merely on the surface. Somewhat hard to follow when compared to most films, you really must pay attention during this one. This is not one to get up and go to the bathroom during unless you hit the pause button. I found this slightly annoying at first, but then it quickly grew on me. I like how everything here isn't spelled out for you in bold letters. One must pay attention and piece things together for themselves, which is exactly how a mystery should be. It keeps you on your toes. You never seem to know which direction the story is going to take you next.
Technically, the film is close to perfect. The cinematography, the score, and the acting are all top notch. All of these elements are combined into a screaming mystery flick. Some may be tempted to get bored at some point, but don't, you must pay attention. I personally enjoyed it quite well and think it's an excellent film. My one and only qualm with it though is the seemingly anti-climactic ending that, while realistic, simply comes out of nowhere without warning. I felt a tad let down at the end after all of that buildup, but the more I think about it, the more I actually like it. This, as I have heard from many people, is not a film to judge on it's first viewing, but one that must be viewed several times in order for the viewer to absorb everything. For this reason alone, and the fact that I've seen it only once, I can't bring myself to take too much away from it simply because of my one qualm with it. I must view it again and see if I like it better. I think I will do just that.
Overall, a great, beautiful, classic noir that won't soon be forgotten.