Rating: R
Movie Release Date: June 20, 1974
DVD Release Date: November 23, 1999
Plot 411: A cheating husband ends up dead and the private detective hired to capture his dalliances vows to find out why.
Review: This movie is what I'd call a slow burn. It's a crime drama with a hint of film noir. According to Wikipedia, this Roman Polanski-directed film is part of a generation of neo-noir films. Jack Nicholson played J.J. Gittes, a private eye whose simple practice of catching cheating spouses is turned upside when the subject of his surveillance ends up dead. However, when he is confronted by the victim's real wife (Faye Dunaway), a completely different woman than the one who originally hired him, he's determined to find out just exactly what is going on. Dunaway plays Evelyn Mulwray, an aristocratic woman wrapped up in secrets that only seem to get more convoluted as the movie goes on. The film is set in the late '30s, which I think adds a bit of mystery to the film. I loved how some of the lighting cut across the actors' faces. It's such a throwback to the films of the '40s. Some of the score, I thought, was overly dramatic but I suppose that it's supposed to increase the tension. For most of the film, the audience is kept in the dark about what's really going on. It is only at the end that all the pieces of the puzzle finally fit together. Also featured in this film are John Huston, Diane Ladd, John Hillerman and James Hong.
Movie Release Date: June 20, 1974
DVD Release Date: November 23, 1999
Plot 411: A cheating husband ends up dead and the private detective hired to capture his dalliances vows to find out why.
Review: This movie is what I'd call a slow burn. It's a crime drama with a hint of film noir. According to Wikipedia, this Roman Polanski-directed film is part of a generation of neo-noir films. Jack Nicholson played J.J. Gittes, a private eye whose simple practice of catching cheating spouses is turned upside when the subject of his surveillance ends up dead. However, when he is confronted by the victim's real wife (Faye Dunaway), a completely different woman than the one who originally hired him, he's determined to find out just exactly what is going on. Dunaway plays Evelyn Mulwray, an aristocratic woman wrapped up in secrets that only seem to get more convoluted as the movie goes on. The film is set in the late '30s, which I think adds a bit of mystery to the film. I loved how some of the lighting cut across the actors' faces. It's such a throwback to the films of the '40s. Some of the score, I thought, was overly dramatic but I suppose that it's supposed to increase the tension. For most of the film, the audience is kept in the dark about what's really going on. It is only at the end that all the pieces of the puzzle finally fit together. Also featured in this film are John Huston, Diane Ladd, John Hillerman and James Hong.
Watch It: If you're the type of person who likes to mental exercise of a mystery.
Skip It: If you just want to be surrounded by 100% action 100% of the time.
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