Hey, have you noticed, if he doesn't get the girl, the film's a classic

Rating: 10/10 (9 August 1999)

Sam Spade didn't get the girl in "Maltese Falcon" and Jake doesn't get the girl in "Chinatown". True, they don't get the girl for different reasons but both reasons are superb. "The Maltese Falcon" and "Chinatown" are without a doubt, the two greatest detective films that have graced American screens. Two important reasons for this are Jack Nicholson and Humphrey Bogart. Of course both have great supporting casts as well. In "Chinatown" the supporting roles are filled superbly by Faye Dunaway and John Huston (in a devilishly malicious role). The script by Robert Towne is excellent and intelligent with many memorable moments and twists. The highlights of this film are the Chinaman joke (easily Nicholson's best and funniest monologues), Dunaway's stunning daughter/sister revelation, Roman Polanski's knife-wielding thug that provides one of Hollywood's most memorable props and the film's surprising conclusion. All in all, "Chinatown" is a complex detective thriller, with a dense, though-provoking script and some superb performances.