"Chinatown"

actor: Jack Nicholson; Mr. Girits; character was written with him in mind; and he fits it - language, subtle facial expressions; was super good; nicholson is actually good looking here
director: Roman Polanski; camera angles, his use of time - letting scenes just run; he played the "midget"
plot; complex, hard to predict
actress: Faye Dunaway; Evelyn Murlaye
screenplay: towne; wrote b/c inspired, not for money
producer: robert evans; seemed stereotypical

set in 1937 in LA.
produced in 1971 or so, commentary/DVD in 1999.
detective film, of Philip Marlowe, ( hammond? ) variety.
but a spin - about water and power, less exotic. black widow character, who really was the heroine.
evil = john huston playing faye's molestor tycoon father
about money, and power (the future).
i don't think i understand what the chinatown rererence. jack and lou (the police liet) were both working for the DA in chinatown -- and it somehow scarred him. didn't want to talk about it much. a place where you tried to do as little as possible, b/c with all the language/cultural barriers, couldn't tell if you were working to capture the bad guys or aiding/abetting. and the asian characters - house staff of the murlaye's, thick accent, the mob crowding around the car in the final shot.
very good mood movie - w/ the directing. the music was deliberately spooky in spots - gave you the creeps. and also old and outdated a bit, so a bit of a jar.
LA, so cal. water issues. rich getting richer, making their own rules.
faye was beautiful. very classy, and together. emotionally abused as a teenager, rescued by hollis, couldn't commit as a wife, slapped around by jack towards the end, hysteria and gun-toting, and then dead.

rented fr albany public library. w/ reheated pizza that was oh-so-yummy. :)
an unexpectedly long day on disrupted 4 hours of sleep. but rode to the library, in generally good spirits. early viewing today as i should get to bed at a decent hour rather than the late hours i've been keeping on w/e's.

- posted by B @ 5:54 PM