Chinatown (1974)

Chinatown is the type of film that's perfect by the books, but just lacks that one thing that really hooks you and keeps you interested. The acting is outstanding, the plot is interesting with great twists and turns, and the sets and locations are beautiful and almost flawless. But once I began to watch the film, I found myself becoming bored from time to time from lack of action. Often the story just seemed to be moving so slow, almost like realtime. And realtime in the life of a private investigator doesn't move too fast. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the movie, but I'm not going to lie, it took me two times to get through it because of the slow pace.

The film takes place in 1937 Los Angeles in the midst of a drought. Mr. Hollis Mulwray, the head of the department that handles the water reservoirs and dam building ends up dead after a false Mrs. Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) hires J.J. (Jake) Gittes (Jack Nicholson) to investigate her suspision that Hollis is cheating on her with another woman. In the process of investigation, Jake ends up falling in love, stumbling upon a murder, and uncovering who really killed Hollis Mulwray. In the end, Jake can't seem to protect the people he loves and his heart is broken again.

Perhaps the most intreaguing aspect of this movie has to do directly with the title. Chinatown is a place Jake used to work when he was with the police force. There, Jake ended up in a situation where he tried to keep a woman from getting hurt. However, Jake's involvment insured she got hurt. We begin to find out that is the very situation that he is thrust into again with the Mulwray case.

Chinatown ends up representing the power that the rich and influential have over everything. In Chinatown, the poor are forgotten, like they never existed. The police in Chinatown had to ignore a large portion of what was going on in order to avoid the power of the rich. Chinatown ends up being a representation of not only this part of L.A., but any hard off city in the world. For all I know the film could have been called "Oakland" or "Philidelphia".

Best quote: "Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown"

My recommendation: If you're a die hard Jack Nicholson fan (like me) you'll probably love this movie. It's definitely a watch alone movie. I tried to watch it with my roommates and got sidetrack really easily.

******** (8/10)

Eastern Promises (2007)

Synopsis: Anna (Naomi Watts), a midwife at a London hospital, finds a journal written in Russian in the personal belongings of a young teen who has passed away in childbirth. In her pursuit to find the relatives of Christina, the baby born to the deceased teen, she becomes involved with Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen) and the Russian Mafia.

Review: In Eastern Promises, director David Cronenberg dissects the mystery of the often overlooked Russian Mafia. The realness of this film is so stark and so striking, I often found I had to remind myself it was just a movie. The streets of London seem so unsafe from the looming and dangerous presence of the mobsters.

It almost goes without saying, Mortensen was the highlight of this film. His chilling performance as Nikolai sends shivers down my spine and makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. His slicked back hair, heavily tatooed body and thick Russian accent give this man the presence to intimadate the unflappable.

My favorite scene by far is the fight scene (not just because Viggo is in the buff, but hey, I'm not complaining). The extreme violence Cronenberg brings to film is something you don't really see these days. I'm a fan of blood and gore and this movie doesn't let me down. I love how Nikolai kills his attackers, the first by shoving his head down on top of a knife and the second by gouging out his eye. Totally cool and totally believable, no SawIII shit here.

I was (and still am) facsinated by the history and story behind each of the tatoos that Nikolai has on his body. The Russian Maffia ink themselves as a way to tell who they are, what they've done, and where they've been. The whole concept of permenently marking yourself with your past is so interesting to me and the symbolism behind it all is something I have never known.

So, if you want to see Viggo Mortensen act his pants off (literally) I highly recommend you see this movie. Stay away if you have any sort of aversion to blood and fighting. You'll probably hate it for the most part!

Favorite quote: "My name is Tatiana. My father died in the mines in my village, so he was already buried when he died. We were all buried there. Buried under the soil of Russia. That is why I left, to find a better life"

******* (7/10)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Synopsis: R.P. McMurphy (Jack Nicholson), lovingly called "Mac" by his friends in the insane asylum, thinks he can get out of jail time by pretending that he's crazy. While in the institution, he attempts to liven up the place with games of blackjack, betting cigarettes, and impromptu imitating of the World Series. However, the head nurse, Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher) has it in for Mac, making his stay more difficult than intended.

Review: Every time I watch this movie, without fail, I fall in love with Mac, the Cheif, and Billy over and over again. As do I love to hate the evil Nurse Ratched. The emotion present in this movie hooks you from the get go as you feel for each of the characters, all of their ups and downs. It's so easy to become invested in these characters, it's hard to see how they are treated inside the nut house.

I also like the idea behind the movie, the commentary on the individual versus the system. How is it Mac can weasel his way into the institution without immediate detection of his deception? I don't want to give away the ending, but there are so many events that take place in the film that suggest such harsh repremands on behalf the system that seem so unfair and cruel. It makes for a most interesting perspective on the topic.

If you haven't noticed yet, I'm on a bit of a Jack Nicholson stint. I've just watched The Shining a few days ago and I have Chinatown at the top of my Blockbuster Queue. There's something about the guy that just appeals to me. He's so freaking good at what he does, it scares me and intreagues me. I've made it a goal to see every Jack Nicholson movie out there just to see the master at work. Especially in this movie, I can never tell if the character he is playing is actually Jack Nicholson or just a character that lives in the movie. I have to believe though that every character Nicholson touches has a part of him in it. It astounds me and I will always be facinated by his work.

Back to Cuckoo's Nest, I am blown away every time by his performance in this film. He's charasmatic as Mac, and you can 't help but to root for him, even though we know his crimes are deplorable and a man like that surely deserves to be in jail. There's something about ole Mac that draws you in.

My favorite quote also comes from my favorite part in the film when Mac cons his way onto a fishing boat with all the 'boys' form the ward:

"You're not an idiot. Huh! You're not a goddamn looney now, boy. You're a fisherman"

I love this part because Mac genuinely sees these men as whole, complete and perfect and does not see the point in treating them like inferiors because they are in a mental hospital and Mac's quote in this part sums up every bit of his character in the way he treats his ward-mates.

Also, fun fact, it was filmed at the Oregon State Hospital in, you guessed it, Oregon!

Now, go to Blockbuster, find this movie, and rent it. If you don't have a Blockbuster account, go to Fred Meyer and buy it. If you're broke, borrow it, but whatever you do, see it. You won't be disappointed.

********** (10/10)