Thursday, January 8, 2009
Where Los Angeles Meets San Francisco
Chinatown, of course.
Both SF and LA house a historic Chinatown - the slightly seedy yet eclectic side of the tracks, where anything can happen – and does.
Nothing exemplifies the mood of Chinatown like the movie of the same name, a 1974 film directed by Roman Polanski starring a roguish Jack Nicholson and a stunning Faye Dunaway. It’s my favorite movie of all time. Not even considering ironic points of convergence between the plot and real life (Dunaway’s character, the tragic Evelyn Mulwray, is abused sexually by her sinister father; Polanski himself was accused of similar heinous acts), the film has a surprising depth. Couple that with a flawless execution and plenty of close-ups of Faye’s perfectly tweezed brows and moody lips, and you have a delightful - if not dark - viewing experience.
The beauty of 1970s Los Angeles area itself is a large part of the film – a backdrop that encroaches with each oncoming scene. Evelyn’s wardrobe is a perfect parallel to what 70s era LA was (or, much like Dunaway’s character, what it wanted to convey): crisp white shirts that perfectly reflected the sun, over-sized sunglasses that hinted at mystery, and silky floor-length dresses (or are they negligees?) that whispered about possibility and unprecedented prowess .
Which brings me again to where Los Angeles and San Francisco meet: Sunhee Moon, via Chinatown.
Because Evelyn surely got her best Los Angeles duds right here at Sunhee Moon.
Pieces Evelyn would love:
The Mick Pant (putty) paired with a starched (white) Savannah top to wear riding, or strolling around the sprawling grounds.
The Elise dress (red), to prove her innocence to private investigator Jake Gittes (Nicholson). With matching lipstick, of course.
The sophisticated Caroline dress (black) to slowly pull Jake into her world.
To anyone who looked under the surface, Evelyn teemed with emotion and devotion; to the rest of the world she was no-nonsense, unequivocal, and determined.
Now that’s a female character I can relate to.
And back here in chilly San Francisco, when I pull on my Elise dress in the morning and don my over-sized shades, there’s definitely a tip of the crocheted hat to both Evelyn and Chinatown, and to all the metered sultriness they represent.
Both SF and LA house a historic Chinatown - the slightly seedy yet eclectic side of the tracks, where anything can happen – and does.
Nothing exemplifies the mood of Chinatown like the movie of the same name, a 1974 film directed by Roman Polanski starring a roguish Jack Nicholson and a stunning Faye Dunaway. It’s my favorite movie of all time. Not even considering ironic points of convergence between the plot and real life (Dunaway’s character, the tragic Evelyn Mulwray, is abused sexually by her sinister father; Polanski himself was accused of similar heinous acts), the film has a surprising depth. Couple that with a flawless execution and plenty of close-ups of Faye’s perfectly tweezed brows and moody lips, and you have a delightful - if not dark - viewing experience.
The beauty of 1970s Los Angeles area itself is a large part of the film – a backdrop that encroaches with each oncoming scene. Evelyn’s wardrobe is a perfect parallel to what 70s era LA was (or, much like Dunaway’s character, what it wanted to convey): crisp white shirts that perfectly reflected the sun, over-sized sunglasses that hinted at mystery, and silky floor-length dresses (or are they negligees?) that whispered about possibility and unprecedented prowess .
Which brings me again to where Los Angeles and San Francisco meet: Sunhee Moon, via Chinatown.
Because Evelyn surely got her best Los Angeles duds right here at Sunhee Moon.
Pieces Evelyn would love:
The Mick Pant (putty) paired with a starched (white) Savannah top to wear riding, or strolling around the sprawling grounds.
The Elise dress (red), to prove her innocence to private investigator Jake Gittes (Nicholson). With matching lipstick, of course.
The sophisticated Caroline dress (black) to slowly pull Jake into her world.
To anyone who looked under the surface, Evelyn teemed with emotion and devotion; to the rest of the world she was no-nonsense, unequivocal, and determined.
Now that’s a female character I can relate to.
And back here in chilly San Francisco, when I pull on my Elise dress in the morning and don my over-sized shades, there’s definitely a tip of the crocheted hat to both Evelyn and Chinatown, and to all the metered sultriness they represent.
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