Jack Nicholson

Jack Nicholson's slow, disreputable grin invites us to enjoy someone we might otherwise avoid. In Roman Polanski's Chinatown (1974), that invitation is especially persuasive: his Jake Gittes is intelligent, vain and funny, and not nearly as reliable as his confidence suggests. Nicholson lets us notice how pleased the detective is with himself without making him ridiculous. We rate him most highly here, where the charm works and there is still reason to question the man using it.

The early work for Roger Corman gave way to a breakthrough supporting part as George Hanson in Easy Rider (1969), then a run of leading roles in the 1970s. Rebellious characters suited him, including Randle Patrick McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975). His intensity made such men difficult to disregard. But Chinatown is our clearest example of how much he can do when he need not push so hard to hold our attention.

We laughed at Gittes's self-assurance, then felt uneasy about how readily we had taken it as proof that he knew what he was doing. Nicholson earns that discomfort by keeping the detective's fallibility visible, even while his charm makes us willing to follow him. The humour belongs to the character; it does not stop the investigation for a succession of jokes. That is why this performance rewards attention beyond the familiar pleasure of watching Nicholson be persuasive.

The larger performances remain part of the appeal, from Jack Torrance in The Shining (1980) to the Joker in Batman (1989). As Good as It Gets (1997) also makes use of his comic and romantic timing. There is a cost when his expansiveness overwhelms a film, though, and the overplaying in The Departed (2006) gives us less pleasure than the measured shifts in Gittes. His appearances became fewer after 2000, but the useful distinction is not simply between early and late Nicholson. If the more demonstrative performances have put you off, start with Chinatown.