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5. ChinaTown (1974)

This is a very complex film, one that demands patience and complete attention while viewing. One wonders if today's moviegoers, who need constant action and instant gratification, would embrace Chinatown. Audiences and critics did so in the mid 1970s though, as it earned 11 Academy Award Nominations, and took home the award for best screenplay. Nicholson earned a Golden Globe for Best Actor, the film earned the 19th spot on the American Film Institute's top 100 movie list.

Nicholson plays J.J. Gittes, a private detective in 1937 Los Angeles. Gittes is called in to investigate a personal situation, and discovers a land grab by prominent investors in California. The plot is multi-layered, and Nicholson is fabulous. From his opening scenes where he is mislead and only has a hint of what is to come, Nicholson portrays Gittes as hardworking, relaxed, and very competent. He is believable as a 1930s private investigator, but his quality acting is constantly on display.

Consider the amount of energy he has in the scene where he and (the real) Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) meet. Gittes comes into his office and is insistent on telling the male employees an off-color joke. He delivers it with the energetic innocence of a college kid, and you have to wonder if Nicholson personally found the joke hilarious. The range of emotions and reactions he is able to convey during the development of the plot is amazing. The chemistry between him and Faye Dunaway was great. As the relationship between the two characters develops, viewers hope Gittes isn't putting himself into a no-win situation. When he opens up about his law enforcement background in Chinatown, it's hard not to be sympathize. Much later in the film, when he has figured out the motivations of some of the moneymen involved in the plot, he still must deal with Evelyn Mulwray's personal situation. One moment he is the macho detective, puffing hungrily on a cigarette, and when he forces the truth from her, he becomes a quiet and caring questioner, intent on helping her out. The film's ending is very well done, although it is a bit upsetting. Chinatown cemented Nicholson as a leading actor and paved the way for his bright career.

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