CHINATOWN (1974) revisited

May 13, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. The latest of the monthly 1970’s film screenings hosted by Dallas Film Society and The Dallas Morning News was the classic Chinatown.   It was shocking to see 35-40% of the hands go up when host Chris Vognar asked how many had never seen the film.  I felt a combination of guilt, pride and envy since my viewings number approximately 15 or 16, not counting “pit stops” while channel surfing.  This is truly a classic film that should be seen by all lovers of movies.

This is a chance to see the work of three film greats at their absolute peak: Jack Nicholson, Roman Polanski (director) and Robert Towne (writer).  I have previously discussed Nicholson’s work in the 70’s (Five Easy Pieces, The Last Detail,Chinatown, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest).  He is so confident and assured and expert in his manner and delivery.  It is so much fun to watch the perfect actor in the perfect role.  Regardless of what you may think of Roman Polanski the man, he is unquestionably an excellent director (Rosemary’s Baby, The Pianist, The Ghost Writer).  His visual flair is on full display with cars, wardrobe, colors, and camera angles.  It is obvious he adores the source material.  Robert Towne has some terrific screenplays on his resume (The Last Detail, Shampoo), but none better than this one.  Along with Network (Paddy Chayefsky), this is one of my two favorite screenplays of all-time.  It is outstanding!

 Some people refer to this as “the Nose movie”, thanks to the scene where Polanski, in a cameo as a tough guy, teaches Nicholson a lesson about sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong. What I love about the story and the movie is that we are along with Gittes (Nicholson) for the whole thing.  There are no shortcuts … no narrators … no flashbacks … we get to solve the mysteries right along with him.  Too many movies make it easy for the viewer.  I prefer to work a little.  And trust me, this one makes you work.  Is it a whodunit?  Is it a kidnapping?  Is it a political power play for control of water?  Is it just outright corruption?  The answer is YES to all of these!

 If you have seen it before, watch it again and pay attention to the absolutely perfect mood score from Jerry Goldsmith.  Check out the wardrobe – the number of suits worn by Nicholson is crazy.  The same holds true for Faye Dunaway’s dresses.  Pay attention to the multiple “eye” references right up to the final two … Dunaway in the car and John Huston shielding his “granddaughter” from the grisly scene.  You may have missed the supporting work from John Hillerman, Diane Ladd, Rance Howard (Ron’s dad), Burt Young (Paulie in Rocky) and James Hong.  James Hong?  If you are a “Seinfeld” fan, you’ll recognize him from the Chinese Restaurant scene where he pages “Cartwright”.  Especially pay attention to the powerful performance of John Huston as Noah Cross.  And no matter how many times you have watched it, the “nose” scene will still make you cringe.

If you have never seen the film, I urge you to set aside some time to watch this classic.  Don’t allow yourself to be distracted.  Take it all in and then … “Forget it Jake.  It’s Chinatown.”

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Posted by David Ferguson

WIN WIN

March 28, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. Thomas McCarthy‘s first two directorial outings were excellent: The Station Agent, The Visitor. This is his third and it seems clear the first two were not flukes. He is a filmmaker who knows what he is doing and is attracted to real people in real life situations. All three films feature the reactions and adaptations when strangers collide and a family-like atmosphere is created.

In this film, Paul Giamatti plays a struggling lawyer who also coaches the local high school wrestling team. Times are tough for Giamatti’s practice and when he stumbles on a chance for some “easy” money, his wrestling match with his conscience doesn’t last too long … even though it is not in the best interest of his client. By taking the easy way out, his elderly client is moved out of his home and into a long-term care facility. Giamatti knows his decision isn’t right, so he hides it from his wife, the talented Amy Ryan. Their home life seems very typical until the Giamatti decision leads to further complications … the client’s long-lost grandson shows up.

 The kid turns out to be quite perceptive and fits right into the Giamatti/Ryan family … especially when it is discovered that he is a top notch high school wrestler. Newcomer Alex Shaffer was cast because of his wrestling skills, but shines in the film due to his ability to come across as a real kid in real world conflicts. There are times his actions and decisions are more adult than the adults.  An interesting running theme throughout the film is “whatever it takes” … sometimes this is used for good, sometimes things are a bit gray.

The grandfather client is played by Burt Young, who was Paulie in the Rocky movies. Giamatti’s best friend is played by Bobby Cannavale, whose character is going through marital hell, and whose lively spirit and outspoken tendencies provide many of the laughs in the film. Cannavale shines in this film, much as he did as the slightly desperate vendor in The Station Agent.

 Things are going along pretty well for the new “family” until Shaffer’s mother (Melanie Lynskey) is released from the drug clinic and she shows up to re-claim her son and her share of grandpa’s wealth. She and her attorney (another nice role for Margo Martindale) expose Giamatti’s earlier unethical decision and force his hand. The strength of the family is severely tested.

What I really like about this and the two previous McCarthy films are that no  Hollywood tricks are used. He hits situations head-on with realistic levels of comedy and uncomfortable people who are just trying to get along in life. In Win Win, the stellar cast brings life to these characters and draw us right in to their attempts at conflict resolution. Even though the theme is not too far removed from that of The Blind Side, Mr. McCarthy provides us with characters who could be from our own lives or even our own families. That makes all the difference.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF:  real characters dealing with real life situations create the type of com-dram you enjoy OR you just want to see a movie with high school students who actually look like high school students (not 28 yr old actors) OR you want to see the power of a strong ensemble cast

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: The Blind Side was as realistic as you prefer movies to get OR you want to avoid the sight of Paul Giamatti jogging or unclogging a toilet

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Posted by David Ferguson