Stylish and intriguing

Rating: 8/10 (8 February 2016)

Stylish and intriguing.
Los Angeles in the early-1930s. A private detective, JJ Gittes (played by Jack Nicholson), is hired by a woman to investigate her husband, as she suspects he is having an affair. Her husband, Hollis Mulwray, is the chief water engineer for the city of Los Angeles. Soon after Gittes delivers the photos that seem to confirm her suspicions, he meets the real wife of the man. Intrigued, Gittes investigates further. Then Mr Mulwray turns up dead...
A clever, slow-burning thriller from director Roman Polanski. Information is gained slowly, heightening the intrigue. Many red herrings, and detours. Nothing is obvious. To make things even more complex, there's not just one plot line in play...
Very film noir like in its feel. You could easily see Humphrey Bogart as Gittes...
Good work by Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in the leading roles. Good support from John Huston.
Not perfect though. The movie loses momentum in the last third or so, focusing on a lesser plot and amplifying the detour by an extended wild goosechase. Ultimately this sub-plot is necessary, to an extent, but it needn't have had so much time devoted to it. Just when the movie was ready to kick up a gear, having idled along previously, it went sideways rather than forward.