The Two Jakes - Jack Nicholson [DVD] [1990]

Another classic Nicholson tour de force. Stunning photography and direction.

But not as poor as is often stated either. Chinatown was remarkable and was always going to be difficult to follow, but this makes a decent hash of it.

Very well directed sequel (Jack Nicholson directs and stars). The gap between the films being made matches the gap in time between when the films are set so the actors in both films have aged correctly! Chinatown was set in the 1930's whereas this is set just after the second world war. A classic private eye film that Humphrey Bogart would have been brilliant in. Nicholson's detective gets caught up in a murder committed by a client of his that leads to uncovering devious plans for oil and gas exploitation and reveals what happened to characters from the first film.

The Two Jakes does not compare to Chinatown, but it was meant to be part of a trilogy of films based on LA’s history: the 1st part focused on water and land; the 2nd on oil, the 3rd was to be on cars and pollution(never got made due to the 2nd’s poor showing at the box office). TTJ draws from Chinatown and there are characters that connect both films together, but you have to judge the movie on its own merits. And Chinatown was a one-off, where director, writer and actor came together to make it great. Chinatown was in the pre-war period, this was set in the post-war 40s. It was one of the themes of Chinatown that there was a quality of déjà vu in everything that happened. That investigator Jake Gittes (Nicholson) had been through this scenario before, and was doomed to re-enact it in the Chinatown of his mind. But the tragedy that once afflicted the characters was doomed to be re-enacted by the major production personnel. The Two Jakes was a film at which they had two goes.The 1st attempt in 1984/5 with Robert Evans, Robert Towne and Jack Nicholson,collapsed in personal acrimony-centred on Evan’s ill-fated attempt to make a come -back as an actor, playing the 2nd Jake. Paramount too had 2nd thoughts. The project was only revived 4 years later, with the box-office clout of Nicholson as both star and director. The film is an auteur piece, but with the wrong auteur. Nicholson’s direction puts a good-looking movie together, with well-crafted physical feel to it, with good period details, set costumes and cars. There is good camera work, everything is moving fluidly on the surface, but he doesn’t make the elements underneath click. Scenes don’t move smoothly from one to the next, they seem to collide and cancel each other out. He shows no talent for story telling. Jake seems more secure and successful (even smug and smarmy), but is personally all at sea. There is something of the clown about Gittes, victimised by the (plentiful) women in his life, and played by Nicholson, in an unflatteringly wide 40s ‘look’, as a man always on the point of being knocked sideways(as he is by one explosion and three earthquakes in the movie).Harvey Keitel is watchable, turning from badass, but adding shading and vulnerability to his role: we watch him come to terms with himself and the central conceit of his life. Meg Tilly and Madeleine Stowe make a good fist of their roles. But the script has certain parallels with Towne’s own directed effort Tequila Sunrise, doodling as an exercise in male bonding- the same over awe for its own script, while building up no interest in the characters or tension in plot. The two Jakes finally triumphing over the miasma of the past, and the regimen of femmes fatales, to land in each other’s arms.Van Dyke and Jo Stafford provide a good soundtrack. We learn the past is never past helped by Zsigmond’s cinematography.Gittes remains deeply hurt by the murder of Faye Dunaway's Evelyn Mulray in Chinatown.

Pretty convaluted.

Like Chinatown a week or two ago, this was my first viewing for follow up, The Two Jakes. It was fairly derided on it's release, but after enjoying Chinatown(but not categorising it under 'classic', an 8/10 for me), I watched this with an open mind.Jack Nicholson returns as private detective Jake Gittes, embroiled in yet another murder investigation, and it's ties to a potential conspiracy...The first thing that struck me during the opening credits, was that Jack Nicholson also directed this. I had no idea! Whilst no Roman Polanski, he doesn't do a bad job here at all, making it surprising that he hasn't directed anything since.I'd wrongly assumed that this would simply be another case for Jake Gittes, using his character as the sole link to the original. Happily, as it turns out, the labyrinthine plot is cleverly interwoven with the original, and some of it's characters. Even with a large difference in the release times (16 years!), it works in the film's favour that some of the actors reprise their roles again.Jack Nicholson is solid as Jack Gittes, but his performance definitely lacks the 'edge', that he was able to deliver in the original. Gittes goes through several rough confrontations in his pursuit of the truth, but there is nothing to compare with the severity and grit of his Roman Polanski encounter in Chinatown. It's almost Chinatown lite. Looking at Chinatown, and the likes of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, the 70's was easily the prime of his acting career.Harvey Keitel is fine, as the 'other' Jake of the title, but Meg Tilley fairs best as his wife Kitty Berman. She definitely brings a smoldering passion to things, much needed in a film with no other standout performance.Madeline Stowe appears as the murder victim's widow, but unusually for her, is absolutely cringe worthy. Too over the top in parts, and just plain poor in others, she is easily the weakest link in the chain.As with the original, the running time is a little excessive. I appreciate that as a viewer, you are supposed to be swept up in the whole atmosphere of things, whilst the story takes it time unfolding. And it does take it's time. Unfortunately, as a lesser film to Chinatown, it's meandering nature is far more noticeable, and there were several times when I wished the plot would shift up a gear...Overall, it's still a good watch, but it's easy to see why it attracted so much negativity. Enthusiasts of the original had waited 16 years for a new installment, and it was only passable at best.

This review is for the version that has Jack full figure, smoking with mysterious lady behind him, also smoking. Lots of smoking. The DVD is excellent quality Anamorphic widescreen, good colour and subtitles. Plus a trailer. The film is much better than I was expecting. A labryinthine plot does need a bit of knowledge re the superior "Chinatown" as there is a definite link between the two. Jack is Jack, so if you like him, all well and good. Keitel is almost subdued as is Meg Tilly. You can't say that for Madeleine Stowe who is so OTT that I loved her performence. Support cast good. The film requires concentration to follow the twists and turns, but ultimately it was a very satisfactory watch. Recomended.