Feature
Forget it, Jake... It's (the Somerset House screening of) Chinatown
Movie Feature
Ali
3rd August 2011
Well, sort of near Chinatown, anyway. I ventured out of my gaming chair to attend the Film4 Summer Screen showing of Chinatown at Somerset House. And you're going to hear all about it, whether you like it or not. (I hope you like it).
Anyway, I've never seen Chinatown before, so I was fairly cautious, thinking perhaps it's not the greatest film to go and watch in a social environment with a large gathering of people - people with crisps and wine and a desire to take their shoes off and rest their feet on my bag of food. But I was wrong. Except about the guy with his shoes off.
The minute the film flickered onto the giant canvas hoisted high above the huddled masses, a hush descended on the crowd and didn't let up until the end credits started rolling. It was so quiet, you could actually hear the projector running at the back of the arena - a good 100 feet away, with at least 250-300 people in between. That's a lot of Doritos going uneaten.
I've never experienced a cinematic audience so respectful of a film before. It was amazing. At one point, you could hear the gulls overhead laughing at Jack Nicholson's face bandages. Bloody freeloading birds. They didn't have to pay for tickets they then didn't have to use. Tsk.
Anyway, kudos to Film4 and the people at Somerset House for creating such a wonderful environment in which to watch a film. If you're headed to one of the remaining screenings, I'd recommend taking a nice chunky blanket and plenty of cushions, and not sitting next to someone with bunions and no concept of personal space.
Oh, right - the film. This may come as a shock to you, but it's pretty ace. I'm always reticent when it comes to catching up on the classics - it's almost like their baggage counts against them, naming no names BLADE RUNNER - but it's easy to see why Chinatown is such a classic. The period setting is a delight - all sax solos and cigarette cases and sharp collars - and the cast are on top of their game. It's impossible not to fall in love with this guy.
Like all detective mysteries, it's sometimes a little overwhelming trying to keep up with the sprawling plot threads (something about water, murder, conspiracies, orange groves, cover-ups, applecores, wet shaves) but it all comes together expertly at the climax, the narrative deconstructed like an IKEA manual for all the idiots like me. I approve, Mr Polanski. Not all of that other stuff, just this.
That's a twofer, then. Not only did I get to see a brilliant film, I got to see it with a brilliant audience too. Outdoor cinema... it's the future!
Support Us
Follow Us
Recent Highlights
-
Review: Jackass Forever is a healing balm for our bee-stung ballsack world
Movie Review
-
Review: Black Widow adds shades of grey to the most interesting Avenger
Movie Review
-
Review: Fast & Furious 9 is a bloodless blockbuster Scalextric
Movie Review
-
Review: Wonder Woman 1984 is here to remind you about idiot nonsense cinema
Movie Review
-
Review: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm arrives on time, but is it too little, or too much?
Movie Review
Advertisement
And The Rest
-
Review: The Creator is high-end, low-tech sci-fi with middling ambitions
Movie Review
-
Review: The Devil All The Time explores the root of good ol' American evil
Movie Review
-
Review: I'm Thinking Of Ending Things is Kaufman at his most alienating
Movie Review
-
Review: The Babysitter: Killer Queen is a sequel that's stuck in the past
Movie Review
-
Review: The Peanut Butter Falcon is more than a silly nammm peanut butter
Movie Review
-
Face The Music: The Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey soundtrack is most outstanding
Movie Feature
-
Review: Tenet once again shows that Christopher Nolan is ahead of his time
Movie Review
-
Review: Project Power hits the right beats but offers nothing new
Movie Review
-
Marvel's Cine-CHAT-ic Universe: Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Movie Feature
-
Review: Host is a techno-horror that dials up the scares
Movie Review