Jack-Nicholson Movie Reviews

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is not your ordinary movie. But it is one of the finest films ever made. Jack Nicholson stars as R.P. Macmurphy, a former prisoner, has been sent to a mental hospital for evaluation. He has been charged with brutality and rape, making the doctors believe there may be signs of mental illness. What ensues is an incredible movie about one man's struggle to survive in a mental hospital and the effect he has upon the other patients. Jack Nicholson won his first lead actor Oscar for his performance in Cuckoo's nest. He is simply unbelievable. He was very due for an oscar. This was his 4th nomination. Fellow nominee Walter Matthau, upon hearing Nicholson's name announced, was said to have leaned over to his wife and said "It's about time." Louise Fletcher won an Oscar for best actress in her unforgettable turn as Nurse Ratched, the stern facilitator of the mental ward. There are many patients and people who would soon become big stars, such as Danny Devito, Christopher Lloyd, Louis Gossett Jr., and an amazing performance by Sydney Lassick. The real deal is Milos Forman, the winner for best director, and the man behind such films as Amadeus(His 2nd Oscar for Direction), The People V. Larry Flynt, and Man on the Moon. He even used real mental ward patients to add realism to the film. This film was produced by a young Michael Douglas, earning him his first Oscar. Gripping, funny, terrifying, and ultimately fulfilling, Cuckoo's nest is one of the best movies ever made.

Milos Forman has always had a knack for assembling great ensemble casts. This is particularly true in his most critically acclaimed releases (Taking Off, Amadeus and this film). It would be difficult indeed to come up with actors and actresses who were better suited to fill the roles in OFOTCN. This is true in terms of both the stars, Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher, and the secondary characters. Who could have been a better Harding than William Redfield? A better Billy Bibbit than Brad Dourif? A better Cheswick than Sydney Lassick? And most especially, a better Chief Bromden than Will Sampson?

I rank this movie as the best of the best of what I consider to be American Cinema's golden decade, the 70s. It certainly won the widest acclaim, with its sweep of the major Oscars for 1975 (Nicholson also won best actor from the New York Film Critics voters that year).

Not to be overlooked is the fantastic job performed by the film's adaptors, Bo Goldman and Lawrence Hauben, who also won Oscars for their screenplay. True, they did have a fairly decent stage version (by Dale Wasserman) to work with. I remember seeing an excellent production of the play, with a terrific cast, in San Francisco circa 1972. Just as an aside, I read in the Norton Critical edition of the novel, a review of a NY production of the play by Walter Kerr that was an absolute pan. Suffice it to say that the movie is much different than either the novel or the play. Those familiar with Kesey's great novel understand how difficult a transfer from page to screen would be; about a third of the story is Bromden's delusional interior monologue. The final script, quite rightly, focuses almost exclusively on Randal P McMurphy's struggle with Nurse Ratched for the hearts and minds of the inmates.

This is truly a gut and soul-wrenching movie, with many moments of high maniacal comedy interspersed. Though many of his other films are top-notch, this is Forman's masterpiece. If you haven't read the book, read it. It you don't own this movie, buy it. There are few works in the history of American literature and film that are superior.

This is a GREAT movie. The acting is fantastic. Nicholson is just amazing also with the other guys. You understand easily why the movie won 5 academy awards. It's funny to see Dany Devito with hair and Louise Fletcher, the nasty but so quiet nurse, is so gorgeous and unfortunately evil. You won't understand how much you will sympathize with all those nuts but It happens. Thanks Milos Forman !

Chinatown is a great story that moves along at a fairy good pace but does stall in parts. The real reason for seeing this film is Polanskis masterpiece direction of noir 30s LA and Jack Nicholsons wise-ass and wonderfully mouthy P.I.

The story is pretty complexed and you will have to stay awake for a lot of it or else it will pass you by because there are lots of plot twists and turns. I had to go back a few scenes now and again to figure out what was going on. Overall it is great entertainment and the dialogue is pretty snappy and on que. You will like and although I would love to give this film full marks it is prolonged in parts and these scenes do break the momentum of the movie.

Good stuff all the same..

In my opinion, CHINATOWN is the last masterpiece presented by polish director Roman Polanski. After this 1973 movie, Polanski will shoot good if not excellent movies that nevertheless won't match such references as REPULSION or CUL-DE-SAC directed in the sixties.

CHINATOWN is the one-time gathering of a director, a producer and a screenwriter who joined for creating a common project. This situation would hardly happen nowadays ; cinema is becoming so dependent on economic issues that movies all look the same and hardly translate into images the genuine vision of a director. Just think that under the severe studio laws of the 30's, 40's and 50's, such talented directors as Alfred Hitchcock, Vincente Minnelli or Fritz Lang were able to create a personal cinematographic world notwithstanding the studio pressures. On the contrary, less than ten american directors in activity can be considered today as authors-directors. And, for the most of them, they are growing very old.

Even if you are not particularly fond of the film noir genre, you cannot neglect CHINATOWN and its story of a private detective Jack " Jake Gittes " Nicholson searching for the truth in a Los Angeles sweating corruption and hidden sins. He will have to face another Hollywood giant - John Huston - before giving up in a pessimist finale à la ... Huston.

A DVD for your library.

About an hour into "Chinatown", Noah Cross (John Huston) says to Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson), "You may think you know what you're dealing with, but believe me, you don't." Gittes, whose heard this rap before, just smiles. "Why is that funny?" asks Cross. "It's what the D.A. used to tell me about Chinatown." If any exchange defines "Chinatown" the movie then this is it. It's a film where the cliched metaphor of the onion is quite apt: the more layers you peel away, the more layers you find. And the less you're likely to understand. It begins life as a simple detective story, but eventually spins out of control into a web of intrigue (another cliched metaphor) that not only includes the murder of water commissioner Hollis Mulwray, but the entirety of 1930's Los Angeles.

Into this web is sprung Jake Gittes, a man who seems to be a typical film noir detective, but upon closer inspection is much more. Or, as we shall see, much less. I'd argue that Jake is an existential anti-hero, seemingly in control of every situation he enters in to, but ultimately just a pawn on an unfathomable chessboard. Minor notes in the movie confirm this hypothesis. A former client calls Jake on the phone, looking for his discretion. "Are you alone, Mr. Gittes?" she asks. "Isn't everybody?" Jake replies, clowning for his operatives, but saying more than he really intends to. It's not the last time he inadvertently comments on the futility of his existence. "That must really smart," says Yelburton, the deputy water commissioner, regarding Jake's newly bandaged nose. "Only when I breathe," he replies, pointing out the paradox. The bandaged nose also acts like a mask. Whereas Jake starts the movie as a handsome man in a slick suit (this is primetime Nicholson), he is slowly physically destroyed. The bandage is just the icing on the cake; it serves as a mask during the movie's middle third, hiding Jake's face and, at the same time, suppressing his identity. Identity, as an issue, is clouded by the fact that no one he meets can seem to get his name right. Cross, in what may be intentional, keeps calling him "Mr. Gitz" (correctly pronounced, 'Gittes' rhymes with 'kitties'). So not only is he a man with no face, he is a man with no name. Jake Gittes, as he gets deeper and deeper into the mysteries surrounding him, is ceasing to exist.

But that's not to say that he is a cipher of a character. How could he be when played by such a vibrant actor? Nicholson is subdued and cool here, in just the right amounts. He captures Jake's slow decent into near madness perfectly, while always allowing the man some sense of control. Nicholson is always watchable in whatever he does, but this may be his best performance because it asks him to tone down his manic energy, allowing it to bubble over in moments, while alluding to it as subtext in others.

Behind him, the acting is mostly superb. John Huston, in his few brief scenes, makes an indelible mark as the pure face of evil. Huston's deep, gravelly voice and imposing -- even at age 68 -- frame do a lot at conveying the man's power, while his twinkling eyes draw you to him, even though you know better. Although best known as a legendary director, Huston nearly steals the show here. Not faring as well is Faye Dunaway. She plays her femme fatale role with a bit too much iciness, and, in moments, melodrama. Although she holds her own, and portrays great anguish, in the film's climactic confessional scene, for the most part Dunaway isn't up to snuff.

Roman Polanski, who takes a brief but memorable role as the Man With Knife (that's how he's quite functionally billed), directs with his usual visual flare. Shots are composed as reflections in camera lenses or in a car's side mirror. The opening scene begins with a series of photographs detailing one wife's infidelity. Without saying anything, and without showing the audience the room around them, the scene is set perfectly. It's archetypal of how he shoots the rest of the film: with style and subtlety.

Maybe I put too much stock in what William Goldman has to say, but "Chinatown" has to be a frontrunner when tallying up the best screenplays of all time. A good screenplay will have two things going for it: a strong structure (of vital importance always), and interesting dialogue (useful in supporting the structure and in adding colour to the proceedings). Towne gets full marks on both counts. Structurally, it's a dream, a marvelous example of the micro turning into the macro as the web of intrigue broadens exponentially, while maintaining its power on the smaller scale all along. Add to this the crisp, precise dialogue, and you've got a screenplay that's as much fun to listen to as it is to follow. Jake is full of wisecracks and homespun wisdom. When asked about Mulwray's character, Yelburton denies ever hearing him talk about infidelity: "He never even kids about it." "Maybe he takes it very seriously," says Jake. When Cross asks if Lou Escobar, the investigating officer who's handling the Mulwray murder case, is an honest man, Jakes replies, "Far as it goes... of course he has to swim in the same water we all do." On its own this would be a great line, but in "Chinatown", where the water of L.A. plays a major role in the plot, its damn well genius.

"Chinatown" is much more than your average detective story. It's a narrative dripping in character, intrigue, and history. I'd sure like to see just what it was that happened in Chinatown, back in Jake's days on the police force, which made him the cynical sleuth he's become. It'd make a great prequel. As it stands, the movie we've got is a crackerjack yarn, rich enough to demand multiple viewings.

Chinatown is a great story that moves along at a fairy good pace but does stall in parts. The real reason for seeing this film is Polanskis masterpiece direction of noir 30s LA and Jack Nicholsons wise-ass and wonderfully mouthy P.I.

The story is pretty complexed and you will have to stay awake for a lot of it or else it will pass you by because there are lots of plot twists and turns. I had to go back a few scenes now and again to figure out what was going on. Overall it is great entertainment and the dialogue is pretty snappy and on que. You will like and although I would love to give this film full marks it is prolonged in parts and these scenes do break the momentum of the movie.

Good stuff all the same..

In my opinion, CHINATOWN is the last masterpiece presented by polish director Roman Polanski. After this 1973 movie, Polanski will shoot good if not excellent movies that nevertheless won't match such references as REPULSION or CUL-DE-SAC directed in the sixties.

CHINATOWN is the one-time gathering of a director, a producer and a screenwriter who joined for creating a common project. This situation would hardly happen nowadays ; cinema is becoming so dependent on economic issues that movies all look the same and hardly translate into images the genuine vision of a director. Just think that under the severe studio laws of the 30's, 40's and 50's, such talented directors as Alfred Hitchcock, Vincente Minnelli or Fritz Lang were able to create a personal cinematographic world notwithstanding the studio pressures. On the contrary, less than ten american directors in activity can be considered today as authors-directors. And, for the most of them, they are growing very old.

Even if you are not particularly fond of the film noir genre, you cannot neglect CHINATOWN and its story of a private detective Jack " Jake Gittes " Nicholson searching for the truth in a Los Angeles sweating corruption and hidden sins. He will have to face another Hollywood giant - John Huston - before giving up in a pessimist finale à la ... Huston.

A DVD for your library.

About an hour into "Chinatown", Noah Cross (John Huston) says to Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson), "You may think you know what you're dealing with, but believe me, you don't." Gittes, whose heard this rap before, just smiles. "Why is that funny?" asks Cross. "It's what the D.A. used to tell me about Chinatown." If any exchange defines "Chinatown" the movie then this is it. It's a film where the cliched metaphor of the onion is quite apt: the more layers you peel away, the more layers you find. And the less you're likely to understand. It begins life as a simple detective story, but eventually spins out of control into a web of intrigue (another cliched metaphor) that not only includes the murder of water commissioner Hollis Mulwray, but the entirety of 1930's Los Angeles.

Into this web is sprung Jake Gittes, a man who seems to be a typical film noir detective, but upon closer inspection is much more. Or, as we shall see, much less. I'd argue that Jake is an existential anti-hero, seemingly in control of every situation he enters in to, but ultimately just a pawn on an unfathomable chessboard. Minor notes in the movie confirm this hypothesis. A former client calls Jake on the phone, looking for his discretion. "Are you alone, Mr. Gittes?" she asks. "Isn't everybody?" Jake replies, clowning for his operatives, but saying more than he really intends to. It's not the last time he inadvertently comments on the futility of his existence. "That must really smart," says Yelburton, the deputy water commissioner, regarding Jake's newly bandaged nose. "Only when I breathe," he replies, pointing out the paradox. The bandaged nose also acts like a mask. Whereas Jake starts the movie as a handsome man in a slick suit (this is primetime Nicholson), he is slowly physically destroyed. The bandage is just the icing on the cake; it serves as a mask during the movie's middle third, hiding Jake's face and, at the same time, suppressing his identity. Identity, as an issue, is clouded by the fact that no one he meets can seem to get his name right. Cross, in what may be intentional, keeps calling him "Mr. Gitz" (correctly pronounced, 'Gittes' rhymes with 'kitties'). So not only is he a man with no face, he is a man with no name. Jake Gittes, as he gets deeper and deeper into the mysteries surrounding him, is ceasing to exist.

But that's not to say that he is a cipher of a character. How could he be when played by such a vibrant actor? Nicholson is subdued and cool here, in just the right amounts. He captures Jake's slow decent into near madness perfectly, while always allowing the man some sense of control. Nicholson is always watchable in whatever he does, but this may be his best performance because it asks him to tone down his manic energy, allowing it to bubble over in moments, while alluding to it as subtext in others.

Behind him, the acting is mostly superb. John Huston, in his few brief scenes, makes an indelible mark as the pure face of evil. Huston's deep, gravelly voice and imposing -- even at age 68 -- frame do a lot at conveying the man's power, while his twinkling eyes draw you to him, even though you know better. Although best known as a legendary director, Huston nearly steals the show here. Not faring as well is Faye Dunaway. She plays her femme fatale role with a bit too much iciness, and, in moments, melodrama. Although she holds her own, and portrays great anguish, in the film's climactic confessional scene, for the most part Dunaway isn't up to snuff.

Roman Polanski, who takes a brief but memorable role as the Man With Knife (that's how he's quite functionally billed), directs with his usual visual flare. Shots are composed as reflections in camera lenses or in a car's side mirror. The opening scene begins with a series of photographs detailing one wife's infidelity. Without saying anything, and without showing the audience the room around them, the scene is set perfectly. It's archetypal of how he shoots the rest of the film: with style and subtlety.

Maybe I put too much stock in what William Goldman has to say, but "Chinatown" has to be a frontrunner when tallying up the best screenplays of all time. A good screenplay will have two things going for it: a strong structure (of vital importance always), and interesting dialogue (useful in supporting the structure and in adding colour to the proceedings). Towne gets full marks on both counts. Structurally, it's a dream, a marvelous example of the micro turning into the macro as the web of intrigue broadens exponentially, while maintaining its power on the smaller scale all along. Add to this the crisp, precise dialogue, and you've got a screenplay that's as much fun to listen to as it is to follow. Jake is full of wisecracks and homespun wisdom. When asked about Mulwray's character, Yelburton denies ever hearing him talk about infidelity: "He never even kids about it." "Maybe he takes it very seriously," says Jake. When Cross asks if Lou Escobar, the investigating officer who's handling the Mulwray murder case, is an honest man, Jakes replies, "Far as it goes... of course he has to swim in the same water we all do." On its own this would be a great line, but in "Chinatown", where the water of L.A. plays a major role in the plot, its damn well genius.

"Chinatown" is much more than your average detective story. It's a narrative dripping in character, intrigue, and history. I'd sure like to see just what it was that happened in Chinatown, back in Jake's days on the police force, which made him the cynical sleuth he's become. It'd make a great prequel. As it stands, the movie we've got is a crackerjack yarn, rich enough to demand multiple viewings.

Chinatown is a great story that moves along at a fairy good pace but does stall in parts. The real reason for seeing this film is Polanskis masterpiece direction of noir 30s LA and Jack Nicholsons wise-ass and wonderfully mouthy P.I.

The story is pretty complexed and you will have to stay awake for a lot of it or else it will pass you by because there are lots of plot twists and turns. I had to go back a few scenes now and again to figure out what was going on. Overall it is great entertainment and the dialogue is pretty snappy and on que. You will like and although I would love to give this film full marks it is prolonged in parts and these scenes do break the momentum of the movie.

Good stuff all the same..

In my opinion, CHINATOWN is the last masterpiece presented by polish director Roman Polanski. After this 1973 movie, Polanski will shoot good if not excellent movies that nevertheless won't match such references as REPULSION or CUL-DE-SAC directed in the sixties.

CHINATOWN is the one-time gathering of a director, a producer and a screenwriter who joined for creating a common project. This situation would hardly happen nowadays ; cinema is becoming so dependent on economic issues that movies all look the same and hardly translate into images the genuine vision of a director. Just think that under the severe studio laws of the 30's, 40's and 50's, such talented directors as Alfred Hitchcock, Vincente Minnelli or Fritz Lang were able to create a personal cinematographic world notwithstanding the studio pressures. On the contrary, less than ten american directors in activity can be considered today as authors-directors. And, for the most of them, they are growing very old.

Even if you are not particularly fond of the film noir genre, you cannot neglect CHINATOWN and its story of a private detective Jack " Jake Gittes " Nicholson searching for the truth in a Los Angeles sweating corruption and hidden sins. He will have to face another Hollywood giant - John Huston - before giving up in a pessimist finale à la ... Huston.

A DVD for your library.

About an hour into "Chinatown", Noah Cross (John Huston) says to Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson), "You may think you know what you're dealing with, but believe me, you don't." Gittes, whose heard this rap before, just smiles. "Why is that funny?" asks Cross. "It's what the D.A. used to tell me about Chinatown." If any exchange defines "Chinatown" the movie then this is it. It's a film where the cliched metaphor of the onion is quite apt: the more layers you peel away, the more layers you find. And the less you're likely to understand. It begins life as a simple detective story, but eventually spins out of control into a web of intrigue (another cliched metaphor) that not only includes the murder of water commissioner Hollis Mulwray, but the entirety of 1930's Los Angeles.

Into this web is sprung Jake Gittes, a man who seems to be a typical film noir detective, but upon closer inspection is much more. Or, as we shall see, much less. I'd argue that Jake is an existential anti-hero, seemingly in control of every situation he enters in to, but ultimately just a pawn on an unfathomable chessboard. Minor notes in the movie confirm this hypothesis. A former client calls Jake on the phone, looking for his discretion. "Are you alone, Mr. Gittes?" she asks. "Isn't everybody?" Jake replies, clowning for his operatives, but saying more than he really intends to. It's not the last time he inadvertently comments on the futility of his existence. "That must really smart," says Yelburton, the deputy water commissioner, regarding Jake's newly bandaged nose. "Only when I breathe," he replies, pointing out the paradox. The bandaged nose also acts like a mask. Whereas Jake starts the movie as a handsome man in a slick suit (this is primetime Nicholson), he is slowly physically destroyed. The bandage is just the icing on the cake; it serves as a mask during the movie's middle third, hiding Jake's face and, at the same time, suppressing his identity. Identity, as an issue, is clouded by the fact that no one he meets can seem to get his name right. Cross, in what may be intentional, keeps calling him "Mr. Gitz" (correctly pronounced, 'Gittes' rhymes with 'kitties'). So not only is he a man with no face, he is a man with no name. Jake Gittes, as he gets deeper and deeper into the mysteries surrounding him, is ceasing to exist.

But that's not to say that he is a cipher of a character. How could he be when played by such a vibrant actor? Nicholson is subdued and cool here, in just the right amounts. He captures Jake's slow decent into near madness perfectly, while always allowing the man some sense of control. Nicholson is always watchable in whatever he does, but this may be his best performance because it asks him to tone down his manic energy, allowing it to bubble over in moments, while alluding to it as subtext in others.

Behind him, the acting is mostly superb. John Huston, in his few brief scenes, makes an indelible mark as the pure face of evil. Huston's deep, gravelly voice and imposing -- even at age 68 -- frame do a lot at conveying the man's power, while his twinkling eyes draw you to him, even though you know better. Although best known as a legendary director, Huston nearly steals the show here. Not faring as well is Faye Dunaway. She plays her femme fatale role with a bit too much iciness, and, in moments, melodrama. Although she holds her own, and portrays great anguish, in the film's climactic confessional scene, for the most part Dunaway isn't up to snuff.

Roman Polanski, who takes a brief but memorable role as the Man With Knife (that's how he's quite functionally billed), directs with his usual visual flare. Shots are composed as reflections in camera lenses or in a car's side mirror. The opening scene begins with a series of photographs detailing one wife's infidelity. Without saying anything, and without showing the audience the room around them, the scene is set perfectly. It's archetypal of how he shoots the rest of the film: with style and subtlety.

Maybe I put too much stock in what William Goldman has to say, but "Chinatown" has to be a frontrunner when tallying up the best screenplays of all time. A good screenplay will have two things going for it: a strong structure (of vital importance always), and interesting dialogue (useful in supporting the structure and in adding colour to the proceedings). Towne gets full marks on both counts. Structurally, it's a dream, a marvelous example of the micro turning into the macro as the web of intrigue broadens exponentially, while maintaining its power on the smaller scale all along. Add to this the crisp, precise dialogue, and you've got a screenplay that's as much fun to listen to as it is to follow. Jake is full of wisecracks and homespun wisdom. When asked about Mulwray's character, Yelburton denies ever hearing him talk about infidelity: "He never even kids about it." "Maybe he takes it very seriously," says Jake. When Cross asks if Lou Escobar, the investigating officer who's handling the Mulwray murder case, is an honest man, Jakes replies, "Far as it goes... of course he has to swim in the same water we all do." On its own this would be a great line, but in "Chinatown", where the water of L.A. plays a major role in the plot, its damn well genius.

"Chinatown" is much more than your average detective story. It's a narrative dripping in character, intrigue, and history. I'd sure like to see just what it was that happened in Chinatown, back in Jake's days on the police force, which made him the cynical sleuth he's become. It'd make a great prequel. As it stands, the movie we've got is a crackerjack yarn, rich enough to demand multiple viewings.

Chinatown is a great story that moves along at a fairy good pace but does stall in parts. The real reason for seeing this film is Polanskis masterpiece direction of noir 30s LA and Jack Nicholsons wise-ass and wonderfully mouthy P.I.

The story is pretty complexed and you will have to stay awake for a lot of it or else it will pass you by because there are lots of plot twists and turns. I had to go back a few scenes now and again to figure out what was going on. Overall it is great entertainment and the dialogue is pretty snappy and on que. You will like and although I would love to give this film full marks it is prolonged in parts and these scenes do break the momentum of the movie.

Good stuff all the same..

In my opinion, CHINATOWN is the last masterpiece presented by polish director Roman Polanski. After this 1973 movie, Polanski will shoot good if not excellent movies that nevertheless won't match such references as REPULSION or CUL-DE-SAC directed in the sixties.

CHINATOWN is the one-time gathering of a director, a producer and a screenwriter who joined for creating a common project. This situation would hardly happen nowadays ; cinema is becoming so dependent on economic issues that movies all look the same and hardly translate into images the genuine vision of a director. Just think that under the severe studio laws of the 30's, 40's and 50's, such talented directors as Alfred Hitchcock, Vincente Minnelli or Fritz Lang were able to create a personal cinematographic world notwithstanding the studio pressures. On the contrary, less than ten american directors in activity can be considered today as authors-directors. And, for the most of them, they are growing very old.

Even if you are not particularly fond of the film noir genre, you cannot neglect CHINATOWN and its story of a private detective Jack " Jake Gittes " Nicholson searching for the truth in a Los Angeles sweating corruption and hidden sins. He will have to face another Hollywood giant - John Huston - before giving up in a pessimist finale à la ... Huston.

A DVD for your library.

About an hour into "Chinatown", Noah Cross (John Huston) says to Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson), "You may think you know what you're dealing with, but believe me, you don't." Gittes, whose heard this rap before, just smiles. "Why is that funny?" asks Cross. "It's what the D.A. used to tell me about Chinatown." If any exchange defines "Chinatown" the movie then this is it. It's a film where the cliched metaphor of the onion is quite apt: the more layers you peel away, the more layers you find. And the less you're likely to understand. It begins life as a simple detective story, but eventually spins out of control into a web of intrigue (another cliched metaphor) that not only includes the murder of water commissioner Hollis Mulwray, but the entirety of 1930's Los Angeles.

Into this web is sprung Jake Gittes, a man who seems to be a typical film noir detective, but upon closer inspection is much more. Or, as we shall see, much less. I'd argue that Jake is an existential anti-hero, seemingly in control of every situation he enters in to, but ultimately just a pawn on an unfathomable chessboard. Minor notes in the movie confirm this hypothesis. A former client calls Jake on the phone, looking for his discretion. "Are you alone, Mr. Gittes?" she asks. "Isn't everybody?" Jake replies, clowning for his operatives, but saying more than he really intends to. It's not the last time he inadvertently comments on the futility of his existence. "That must really smart," says Yelburton, the deputy water commissioner, regarding Jake's newly bandaged nose. "Only when I breathe," he replies, pointing out the paradox. The bandaged nose also acts like a mask. Whereas Jake starts the movie as a handsome man in a slick suit (this is primetime Nicholson), he is slowly physically destroyed. The bandage is just the icing on the cake; it serves as a mask during the movie's middle third, hiding Jake's face and, at the same time, suppressing his identity. Identity, as an issue, is clouded by the fact that no one he meets can seem to get his name right. Cross, in what may be intentional, keeps calling him "Mr. Gitz" (correctly pronounced, 'Gittes' rhymes with 'kitties'). So not only is he a man with no face, he is a man with no name. Jake Gittes, as he gets deeper and deeper into the mysteries surrounding him, is ceasing to exist.

But that's not to say that he is a cipher of a character. How could he be when played by such a vibrant actor? Nicholson is subdued and cool here, in just the right amounts. He captures Jake's slow decent into near madness perfectly, while always allowing the man some sense of control. Nicholson is always watchable in whatever he does, but this may be his best performance because it asks him to tone down his manic energy, allowing it to bubble over in moments, while alluding to it as subtext in others.

Behind him, the acting is mostly superb. John Huston, in his few brief scenes, makes an indelible mark as the pure face of evil. Huston's deep, gravelly voice and imposing -- even at age 68 -- frame do a lot at conveying the man's power, while his twinkling eyes draw you to him, even though you know better. Although best known as a legendary director, Huston nearly steals the show here. Not faring as well is Faye Dunaway. She plays her femme fatale role with a bit too much iciness, and, in moments, melodrama. Although she holds her own, and portrays great anguish, in the film's climactic confessional scene, for the most part Dunaway isn't up to snuff.

Roman Polanski, who takes a brief but memorable role as the Man With Knife (that's how he's quite functionally billed), directs with his usual visual flare. Shots are composed as reflections in camera lenses or in a car's side mirror. The opening scene begins with a series of photographs detailing one wife's infidelity. Without saying anything, and without showing the audience the room around them, the scene is set perfectly. It's archetypal of how he shoots the rest of the film: with style and subtlety.

Maybe I put too much stock in what William Goldman has to say, but "Chinatown" has to be a frontrunner when tallying up the best screenplays of all time. A good screenplay will have two things going for it: a strong structure (of vital importance always), and interesting dialogue (useful in supporting the structure and in adding colour to the proceedings). Towne gets full marks on both counts. Structurally, it's a dream, a marvelous example of the micro turning into the macro as the web of intrigue broadens exponentially, while maintaining its power on the smaller scale all along. Add to this the crisp, precise dialogue, and you've got a screenplay that's as much fun to listen to as it is to follow. Jake is full of wisecracks and homespun wisdom. When asked about Mulwray's character, Yelburton denies ever hearing him talk about infidelity: "He never even kids about it." "Maybe he takes it very seriously," says Jake. When Cross asks if Lou Escobar, the investigating officer who's handling the Mulwray murder case, is an honest man, Jakes replies, "Far as it goes... of course he has to swim in the same water we all do." On its own this would be a great line, but in "Chinatown", where the water of L.A. plays a major role in the plot, its damn well genius.

"Chinatown" is much more than your average detective story. It's a narrative dripping in character, intrigue, and history. I'd sure like to see just what it was that happened in Chinatown, back in Jake's days on the police force, which made him the cynical sleuth he's become. It'd make a great prequel. As it stands, the movie we've got is a crackerjack yarn, rich enough to demand multiple viewings.

Little Shop of Horrors. Although pieces of the movie omit wonderful little songs ("Call Back in the Morning" "Mushnik and Son" "Finale/Don't Feed the Plants," etc), it does its job at having tongue-in-cheek humor. As a matter of fact, my High School's production of the play finished up last night..I played the role of Crystal. Excellent movie!

Frank Oz did a phenomenal job translating this off-Broadway smash to the screen in 1986. I saw the original show in the fall of 1985 when I first moved to NYC for school. Even if you're someone who doesn't normally like musicals, this one is hard to resist. The songs are great, along with the kitschy 1950's setting. The three street urchins who serve as a Greek chorus, and have some great songs to boot, are excellent. But in the movie as with the original show, the real magic comes from Ellen Greene. I'm not sure why she didn't have a bigger career, especially since she has such an amazingly dynamic and powerful singing voice (at odds with her breathy speaking voice as Audrey).

I just saw the new Broadway revival and would have to say it's not worth the money. It can't touch the memory of this film. The star, Hunter Foster, is quite good. But Kerry Butler as Audrey does not really work at all. Something just doesn't quite gel and she's sort of too much the girl next door for the role. The plant effects are sort of cool, though.

In 1982, Broadway released a play called "Little Shop of Horrors," that had audiences applauding for more. In 1984, Roger Corman legend decided to take the worst idea ever of making "Little Shop of Horrors" into a movie in less than two days! Becoming the best known movie as the worse film in recent history. A couple years later, in 1986, "Little Shop of Horrors" become a movie musical phenomenon. Turning this worse idea into one of the greatest things that could possibly happen in cinema history. A movie musical that could surely having you getting up on your feet and dancing to the music. (I know that is what I did when I just *had* to go out and by the soundtrack from the motion picture!) The new impoved camera angles and music makes you really feel something for the characters and makes you want to watch it over and over again. I haven't been able to stop watching since I first ordered from Amazon.com! I know I've watched it more than ten times at least, I can't really remember now, I lost count after the fourth time viewing the DVD, and have gotten most of the songs memorized. My personal favorite song is the new one that was included in the film that wasn't in the original Broadway show called, "Mean Green Mother From Outerspace." It just has a really feel good hard rock beat to it. Loved it, loved it, loved it! Also, other stand out songs that I should mention is: "Little Shop of Horrors," "Skid Row (Downtown)," "Dentist!," "Suddenly Seymour," and "Suppertime." Wonderfully sung songs that would have getting up off your feet and singing along with the music. So, having this worst idea in cinema history, is now the greatest thing t o happen in cinema history. The most remarkable scene that is remembered mostly is the Steve Martin character, the dentist. He does a hilarious appearence as the demented dentist, really putting feeling into his character so that when his death scene comes up, you don't really need to feel sorry for the character. Which I was glad that the bastard died in the first place, because he was just getting on my nervers. Yet, Steve delievers that perfectly to the audience. Also, the backup singers did a tremdous job in the film, I might would like to point out. Without them, we would just have a story about a singing plant, a daring hero, a sweet girl, and a demented dentist. But these gals really can sing and light up the picture, even in a dark moment in the picture. So, regardless if this a musical, "Little Shop of Horrors" is a great film everyone should see over and over again.

This movie's great! I'm doing my drama exam this week at school and we are doing a scene from The Little Shop of Horrors. I'm in a group of girls (i'm a girl as well) but most of them are very stubborn and won't play the male part. So i said i'd do it coz i love anything to do with drama. I got to play Orin, the sadistic dentist and i really enjoyed it playing that part. Itz fun playing evil characters and i'm glad my friends didn't want to do it. Even though he's a baddie, he really makes me laugh, especially in that song, Dentist (as well as the scene with Bill Murray). I find it weird that i liked that song coz i despise going 2 the dentist. I haven't seen the whole movie but from what i've seen, it's brill! It's about this nerdy but sweet florist called Seymour (ahhh) who fancies his co-worker Audrey (a girl with a strange but sweet wispy voice) who's dating that crazy dentist who is abusive towards her and treats her badly. Seymour reckons that the only way to make her fall in love with him is because of this amazing plant he gets (who he calls Audrey Two). BUT this plant doesn't feed on water, it feeds on human blood. Audrey Two begins growing, talking and begs for more than just Seymour cutting himself. He bumps off Orin (yeah that was my scene, i had to act completely insane) and his boss. It's a brilliant movie and i'm getting the DVD of it this summer, i can't wait! The acting in it is great (round of applause for Steve Martin especially) and I hope a lot of people will like it, watch it, you won't regret it!
(Personally, i don't mind that the original ending didn't go very well at the start coz i think it would be sad to see such a happy movie go so wrong at the end. I'd like to have seen it though).
My favourite songs from the movie are Downtown, Dentist and Suddenly Seymour.
Oh please hope i do well in my exam!

Later: I'm just editing my review, I got my DVD in July. It was brilliant. Little Shop of Horrors is my favourite film of all time, I love it! The special features were great (shame they took away original ending, I heard they might be putting it back, in colour!), the outtakes were hysterically funny and Behind the Scenes was great (although I would have like to have seen Steve Martin interviewed). My drama exam was fine! My teacher thought it was very funny. I was hoping we'd do it for our school play, but we're not :( I would audition for Orin Scrivello D.D.S definitely even though i'm a girl, I can do the voice! But readers, you have to buy this film coz even though I only found about it back in May when my teacher chose it for our topic, itz the best I've ever seen! Go ahead! Buy it and you will never ever regret it!
You know something, I was at the dentist the other day getting a 'long slow root canal' done! Honestly, ow itz so painful! Thank God my dentist was normal!

"Little Shop of Horrors" is a movie like no other. You're slyly drawn in by a cute little musical that progressivley gets more and more "weiEIeiEIerrRRrd" (to quote Wink the radio guy, played by John Candy.)

Candy, Jim Belushi, Steve Martin and Christopher Guest show up here to add their talents to outstanding performances by Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene.

The music is great! I'm not a huge fan of 50's and 60's style do-wop stuff, but if your feet can stay still during the tunes in this show, forget it--you're dead already and it doesn't matter.

The arrangements are excellent. The Greek Chorus Girls add style, panache and polish as well as harmony.

One of my favorite things about this film is finding someone who hasn't seen it yet and sharing it with them. They always say, "When was this made? How could I not hear about this movie? It's great!"

The DVD version is excellent. I've owned the VHS for years, but the DVD sound and picture are far superior. The documentary on the making of the film is a nice extra and makes you appreciate what you see that much more.

My confession? I've probably watched this movie thirty or more times. If you ask to watch it again tonight, would I do it? You bet.

Just buy it. You won't be sorry. The DVD lets you show off your home theater system with hardly an explosion. It's a gem.

Little Shop of Horrors. Although pieces of the movie omit wonderful little songs ("Call Back in the Morning" "Mushnik and Son" "Finale/Don't Feed the Plants," etc), it does its job at having tongue-in-cheek humor. As a matter of fact, my High School's production of the play finished up last night..I played the role of Crystal. Excellent movie!

Here is another in the great line of movies that will have you quoting lines to your friends for years to come. For those who live to quote movie lines, this film is second only to "Army of Darkness" for memorable lines.

Now, does that make it a five star movie. No, don't be silly. This movie earns its stars for a great story played out by a fantastic cast under the wonderful direction of Rob Reiner. Tom Cruise has the biggest role and delivers a fantastic performance as a slacker lawyer who discovers his abilities just in time to try the case of his life. Moore and Nicholson add star power and each is brilliant in their role. But, the three big stars aside, this movie is really made by the supporting cast. The list of actors who shine in support in this film is endless. Walsh, Pollack, Bacon, Gooding, Burnley, Dane, Fultz, Sutherland, et. al. make up the real legal dream team. This is truly a great ensemble cast (and fertile ground for the Kevin Bacon Game).

The courtroom scenes will drive trial lawyers crazy, but that criticism misses the point. The writers may have been sick the day they taught law in law school, but that is just the difference between paper law and trial law. So, while the lawyers may object strenuously, I say this film is matched only by "The Caine Mutiny" as great courtroom movies.

Don't miss this one, it is a masterpiece.

This movie is one amazing piece of work. A Few Good Men leaves you sitting in astonishment, as you can't believe the remarkable movie you just had the absolute pleasure of watching.

I am not a big Tom Cruise fan, but he truly performed on Oscar level in this film. I really enjoyed watching his character mature as the moive progressed. Jack Nicholson was simply "Jack" - enough said. This role was seriously made for him. Throw in Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, and an exceptional performance by Kevin Pollack, and you have one blockbuster of a film. Cuba Gooding Jr. and ER's Noah Wiley also had minor roles in this film, and if that wasn't enough, add in the directing genius of Rob Reiner. Need I say more?

The film flowed extremely well, and the acting was far better than superb. The storyline was forever changing, allowing the suspense to be overwhelmingly good. The courtroom scenes, although slightly unbelievable, were so dramatic and enticing that you couldn't help but feel like you were on that jury witnessing all of the theatrics involved.

A Few Good Men will leave you wanting more, and the ending, somewhat unpredictable, will knock you out of your seat. This is one great film, and would make an excellent addition to anyone's film library.

Have you ever seen one of those movies that you could watch again and again? This is it for me! I can't being to tell you how many times I have stopped in the middle of cleaning the house, doing homework, eating dinner, whatever to watch A FEW GOOD MEN if it was on tv, cable, whatever. This movie is a great movie with a tremendous cast. Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise, Kevin Bacon, Demi Moore all give amazing performances. This is a movie that everyone should watch atleast once.
Even today I went to my dvd collection to pop it in the DVD player just to watch it again. I think this movie is a real treat for anyone who enjoys court room dramas, movies about military that is not about war, and who loves the actors listed above because I can't imagine any one else in these roles than the great cast in this line up! RENT AND ENJOY! No wait...BUY IT! You won't regret it!!

Here is another in the great line of movies that will have you quoting lines to your friends for years to come. For those who live to quote movie lines, this film is second only to "Army of Darkness" for memorable lines.

Now, does that make it a five star movie. No, don't be silly. This movie earns its stars for a great story played out by a fantastic cast under the wonderful direction of Rob Reiner. Tom Cruise has the biggest role and delivers a fantastic performance as a slacker lawyer who discovers his abilities just in time to try the case of his life. Moore and Nicholson add star power and each is brilliant in their role. But, the three big stars aside, this movie is really made by the supporting cast. The list of actors who shine in support in this film is endless. Walsh, Pollack, Bacon, Gooding, Burnley, Dane, Fultz, Sutherland, et. al. make up the real legal dream team. This is truly a great ensemble cast (and fertile ground for the Kevin Bacon Game).

The courtroom scenes will drive trial lawyers crazy, but that criticism misses the point. The writers may have been sick the day they taught law in law school, but that is just the difference between paper law and trial law. So, while the lawyers may object strenuously, I say this film is matched only by "The Caine Mutiny" as great courtroom movies.

Don't miss this one, it is a masterpiece.

This movie is one amazing piece of work. A Few Good Men leaves you sitting in astonishment, as you can't believe the remarkable movie you just had the absolute pleasure of watching.

I am not a big Tom Cruise fan, but he truly performed on Oscar level in this film. I really enjoyed watching his character mature as the moive progressed. Jack Nicholson was simply "Jack" - enough said. This role was seriously made for him. Throw in Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, and an exceptional performance by Kevin Pollack, and you have one blockbuster of a film. Cuba Gooding Jr. and ER's Noah Wiley also had minor roles in this film, and if that wasn't enough, add in the directing genius of Rob Reiner. Need I say more?

The film flowed extremely well, and the acting was far better than superb. The storyline was forever changing, allowing the suspense to be overwhelmingly good. The courtroom scenes, although slightly unbelievable, were so dramatic and enticing that you couldn't help but feel like you were on that jury witnessing all of the theatrics involved.

A Few Good Men will leave you wanting more, and the ending, somewhat unpredictable, will knock you out of your seat. This is one great film, and would make an excellent addition to anyone's film library.

Have you ever seen one of those movies that you could watch again and again? This is it for me! I can't being to tell you how many times I have stopped in the middle of cleaning the house, doing homework, eating dinner, whatever to watch A FEW GOOD MEN if it was on tv, cable, whatever. This movie is a great movie with a tremendous cast. Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise, Kevin Bacon, Demi Moore all give amazing performances. This is a movie that everyone should watch atleast once.
Even today I went to my dvd collection to pop it in the DVD player just to watch it again. I think this movie is a real treat for anyone who enjoys court room dramas, movies about military that is not about war, and who loves the actors listed above because I can't imagine any one else in these roles than the great cast in this line up! RENT AND ENJOY! No wait...BUY IT! You won't regret it!!

Here is another in the great line of movies that will have you quoting lines to your friends for years to come. For those who live to quote movie lines, this film is second only to "Army of Darkness" for memorable lines.

Now, does that make it a five star movie. No, don't be silly. This movie earns its stars for a great story played out by a fantastic cast under the wonderful direction of Rob Reiner. Tom Cruise has the biggest role and delivers a fantastic performance as a slacker lawyer who discovers his abilities just in time to try the case of his life. Moore and Nicholson add star power and each is brilliant in their role. But, the three big stars aside, this movie is really made by the supporting cast. The list of actors who shine in support in this film is endless. Walsh, Pollack, Bacon, Gooding, Burnley, Dane, Fultz, Sutherland, et. al. make up the real legal dream team. This is truly a great ensemble cast (and fertile ground for the Kevin Bacon Game).

The courtroom scenes will drive trial lawyers crazy, but that criticism misses the point. The writers may have been sick the day they taught law in law school, but that is just the difference between paper law and trial law. So, while the lawyers may object strenuously, I say this film is matched only by "The Caine Mutiny" as great courtroom movies.

Don't miss this one, it is a masterpiece.

This movie is one amazing piece of work. A Few Good Men leaves you sitting in astonishment, as you can't believe the remarkable movie you just had the absolute pleasure of watching.

I am not a big Tom Cruise fan, but he truly performed on Oscar level in this film. I really enjoyed watching his character mature as the moive progressed. Jack Nicholson was simply "Jack" - enough said. This role was seriously made for him. Throw in Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, and an exceptional performance by Kevin Pollack, and you have one blockbuster of a film. Cuba Gooding Jr. and ER's Noah Wiley also had minor roles in this film, and if that wasn't enough, add in the directing genius of Rob Reiner. Need I say more?

The film flowed extremely well, and the acting was far better than superb. The storyline was forever changing, allowing the suspense to be overwhelmingly good. The courtroom scenes, although slightly unbelievable, were so dramatic and enticing that you couldn't help but feel like you were on that jury witnessing all of the theatrics involved.

A Few Good Men will leave you wanting more, and the ending, somewhat unpredictable, will knock you out of your seat. This is one great film, and would make an excellent addition to anyone's film library.

Have you ever seen one of those movies that you could watch again and again? This is it for me! I can't being to tell you how many times I have stopped in the middle of cleaning the house, doing homework, eating dinner, whatever to watch A FEW GOOD MEN if it was on tv, cable, whatever. This movie is a great movie with a tremendous cast. Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise, Kevin Bacon, Demi Moore all give amazing performances. This is a movie that everyone should watch atleast once.
Even today I went to my dvd collection to pop it in the DVD player just to watch it again. I think this movie is a real treat for anyone who enjoys court room dramas, movies about military that is not about war, and who loves the actors listed above because I can't imagine any one else in these roles than the great cast in this line up! RENT AND ENJOY! No wait...BUY IT! You won't regret it!!