Chinatown

I've heard maybe a bit too much praise about the movie and maybe I am also slightly influenced by the current world, so the significant revelation didn't shock me that much. But still, it is a great film that Polanski directs with incredible certainty until the end, which does not offer any happy ending, which is in this case a good thing. (10/06/2015)

Cherchez la femme. Polanski’s grasp of the excellent and well-thought out screenplay is a joy to watch. Sun-parched L.A. is stifling with a heavy and paranoid atmosphere, especially when no water comes out of the faucet. I’m not a big fan of Nicholson, but here he really is excellent and gives the hero the necessary authenticity. The crushing finale is just the icing on the cake. In the 70s this must have almost been a revolution in cinema. Bad for the glass. (03/20/2013)

It's not exactly a film noir because it lacks the main character's accompanying monologue. Instead, it reminded me of L.A. Confidential (yes, I know it's considerably younger, but I saw it first). It also felt as if this movie inspired the creators of Rango. The story was very well constructed, the cast was fantastic, and Roman Polański's direction style usually suits me. Everything came together in perfect harmony; there was a great atmosphere and tension, and I was immensely pleased with how the conclusion was handled. It's evident that film themes come and go, but corruption is a solid rock that doesn't succumb to erosion in that vast ocean of change. / Lesson learned: If your daughter is also your sister, something is not quite right. (01/15/2023)

The peak of 1970s grim noir crime investigation with the grand Jack Nicholson, who – apart from delivering a standard high-quality performance – can also add another notch in his belt representing more actresses in his favorite bed. Apart from the amazing Jack and the gloomy atmosphere, it’s a standard film noir. (08/16/2016)

The basic structure of the story is quite similar to L.A. Confidential, with mysterious murders, a lot of peripheral characters, a foggy and unpredictable plot, and slowly revealing connections that gradually fit into a complex pattern of the motive of the murder. Roman Polanski brilliantly captured the atmosphere of a classic noir film. Throughout most of the film you can see a constant twilight, which gives it a special mysterious touch. (04/13/2005)