This sounded pretty good... Nicholson is mostly fun to watch, and I enjoyed Chinatown immensely(Towne returning to write this sequel was a treat, as well). I enjoyed it for a while, but not too far past the half-way point, I realized that it had run out of steam... the film kept rolling, but it no longer kept the viewers' attention. Jack Nicholson is no director, and it shows... while he is a skilled actor, he should stay in front of the camera instead of trying his hand behind it. The cinematography is close, but doesn't quite make it to being good... we have shots that linger, and wasted opportunities aplenty. Polanski's loose, involving camera is sorely missed here. The pacing is also off... the film ends up seeming heavy as a result. The writing is quite good. The acting varies, but is mostly on the positive end. The tone isn't entirely sure what it wants to be, but does create some great "noir" moments. Jake's monologues are occasionally spot-on. The mystery varied some... parts of it, I had figured out before the lead, whereas others only became clear to me just as they were revealed. This is a hit and miss scenario... and unfortunately, it misses more than it hits. This is worth watching as a continuation of Chinatown for those that want more of the plot, and can compromise with the drop in style and finesse of the film-making values. I recommend this to big fans of Jack Nicholson and those interested in seeing what occurred after the events of Chinatown. 6/10
86 Reviews
Now I get it
SnoopyStyle4 March 2020
In the sequel to Chinatown, private eye Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) works divorces in post-war L.A. Jake Berman (Harvey Keitel) hires him to catch his cheating wife Kitty (Meg Tilly). They are the two Jakes. It's a scripted set-up but they catch Kitty in bed with his business partner Bodine and shoots him dead. There is a question about Jake Berman's motive by the police. There is a wire recording. There is a tract of land. There is possibly oil. There are mobsters, oil tycoon, and the constant earthquakes.
I didn't understand it back in the day. I got bored with it. It has the 70's noir with a 90's sunshine glare. Nicholson is older and less energetic. Madeleine Stowe's performance threw me off. To me, she's faking a melodramatic damsel and I kept wondering if her character is faking it. After watching it recently, I actually understood the general premise of the movie but some of the whys still elude me. It's better but it's still too long. The tension is not quite the same as Chinatown. Jake Gittes needs to be in more danger. He seems to be outside of it. Also, it pales in comparison with its iconic original.
I didn't understand it back in the day. I got bored with it. It has the 70's noir with a 90's sunshine glare. Nicholson is older and less energetic. Madeleine Stowe's performance threw me off. To me, she's faking a melodramatic damsel and I kept wondering if her character is faking it. After watching it recently, I actually understood the general premise of the movie but some of the whys still elude me. It's better but it's still too long. The tension is not quite the same as Chinatown. Jake Gittes needs to be in more danger. He seems to be outside of it. Also, it pales in comparison with its iconic original.
a worthwhile sequel that came too late
dtucker8621 October 2001
Jack Nicholson is certainly one of the greatest actors of this or any generation. Chinatown is perhaps his greatest film and he certainly should have won an Oscar for it. Sam Spade and Phillip Marlowe certainly have nothing on his Jake Gittes! The only problem with this sequel is that it came out many years too late. I read that Robert Evans originally wanted to make it in the 1980s but legal problems held it up. The Two Jakes was pretty much ignored at the box office and got some awfully bad reviews. I could not understand why because I thoroughly enjoyed it. So many films that come out are geared towards kids and make you feel like a kid again when you see them. Thats okay, but this film made me feel like an adult seeing it. The film is as good as Chinatown in so many ways. I love the props and the ambiance of the 1940s that they use. Jack did a great job directing this film and he deserves a lot more credit.
Nicholson and writer Robert Towne revisit old haunts...
moonspinner5529 February 2008
Long-delayed follow-up (of sorts) to 1974's "Chinatown", which was directed by Roman Polanski and featured Jack Nicholson as 1930s private detective J.J. Gittes. "The Two Jakes" was written by returning screenwriter Robert Towne and directed by Nicholson himself, who also stars, but--despite a certain patchy swagger and style--it's a let-down for admirers of the previous film, and a yawner to latter-day Nicholson fans who might be expecting some combative, belligerent fireworks. Jack's gumshoe delves into an infidelity scandal which quickly leads to dirty doings in the oil business (it was water the first time). Confusing and deadly slow, with the irritating, gravel-voiced narration by Nicholson failing to supply the proper mood. There are a few arty camera set-ups and good players in the cast (including Meg Tilly, Harvey Keitel, Eli Wallach, and a nice 'bit' by Faye Dunaway), but it fails to intrigue even on a nostalgic level. * from ****
Just because it's no Chinatown, doesn't make this film bad
d_fienberg2 January 2001
The Two Jakes and The Godfather 3 were released in the second half of 1990 and both films proved that sometimes it's best not to tamper with classics. This is not necessarily because sometimes a sequel can't compliment a classic, but because no matter what you do, there's no way to avoid comparing the new versions to the old. And the final chapter of the Godfather trilogy is vastly inferior to the first two. And Two Jakes is vastly inferior to Chinatown. But since Chinatown and the first two Godfathers are among the best films every made, that's a pretty pointless comparison. Just as The Godfather 3 stands on its own as a very sturdy and interesting piece of filmmaking, Two Jakes also works on its own merits. It's confusing, overlong (a full ten minutes more than the original), and never fully gels, but it's also passionate, intelligent filmmaking. Go figure.
In his autobiography, producer Robert Evans refers to Robert Towne's script for Two Jakes as basically only half-finished. It was half-finished when they started shooting, half-finished when they made it half-way through the shoot, and it pretty much feels half-finished in the final product. This is a movie where characters wander in and out and a full two-thirds of the storylines go essentially unresolved. The grand climax of the film (and trust me, I'm not spoiling anything) is an evidentiary hearing, for heavens sakes! And I couldn't really explain the plot if I wanted to, but here's the quick summary: It's fifteen years after Chinatown and Jake Gittes Jack Nicholson) has become older, fatter, and a good deal more bitter. He's now an Investigator respected throughout LA, but he's still haunted by his experiences with the Mulwrays, especially the late Evelyn. The film begins with a jealous husband, Jake Berman (Harvey Keitel), storming into a hotel room and killing his wife's lover, with Jake listening in the next room. Of course, you know the crime probably wasn't entirely about love or lust and that money probably had something to do with it. Money, history, and oil, actually. And it spins in circles from there.
It's easy to notice that the film slacks off at around the half-way point. It's then that you realize just how tight Robert Towne's Chinatown script was. Even at a shred over two hours, every word counts, every gesture, every twist. Two Jakes is flabby in comparison. The dialogue is pleasantly hardboiled and the actors enjoy delivering it, but the resolutions of the various mysteries mostly fall flat. You either see them coming, or don't understand when they arrive. It's to Towne and director Jack Nicholson's credit that the film ends on a number of satisfying grace notes.
Nicholson's direction is almost never the source of the film's flaws. And this is legitimately high praise in a film as twisting and convoluted as this. Of course, he again makes you appreciate the brilliant economy of Roman Polanski's direction of Chinatown, a film with an immeasurable amount of class. Nicholson produces several wonderful moments including a beautiful pull shot from the ocean to a teatime conversation with Kahn (who Chinatown fans will avidly remember). Nicholson and director of photography Vilmos Zsigmond capture a Los Angeles of burnt out dreams, on the brink of overdevelopment and overexpansion. The film has noir stylings but it respectfully looks different from Chinatown.
Nicholson's performance is more a study of what has happened to the actor since Chinatown, rather than what has happened to the character. Because Jack was less of an icon when Chinatown was made, the original Jake Gittes is one of his least iconic performances. By the time he won his Oscar the next year for One Flew Over The Cuckoo's nest Nicholson had already become JACK (in all caps) and he hasn't looked back. In Two Jakes, Jake Gittes has become JACK. There's no getting around it. However, there's also no getting around the fact that Nicholson is a great actor and even if his performances are frequently variations on a theme, it's a pretty super theme.
Two Jakes is peppered with supporting performances of varying degrees of depth. Harvey Keitel has never been better as the second of the two Jakes. His character is emotionally complicated and perhaps the only person in the film (besides Gittes) who gets to go through a character arc. He plays it wonderfully. The femmes fatale in the film, as played by Madeline Stowe and Meg Tilly are less and more complicated than they seem. Ruben Blade, Richard Farnsworth, and Eli Wallach provide capable support when they're given anything to do.
The fact is that like the Godfather 3, if you came upon Two Jakes with a completely open mind, you'd find it a complicated thriller, vastly more substantial than most films of the genre. The fact that it's got its flaws that it'll never compare to Chinatown are the basis for a 7/10 rating.
In his autobiography, producer Robert Evans refers to Robert Towne's script for Two Jakes as basically only half-finished. It was half-finished when they started shooting, half-finished when they made it half-way through the shoot, and it pretty much feels half-finished in the final product. This is a movie where characters wander in and out and a full two-thirds of the storylines go essentially unresolved. The grand climax of the film (and trust me, I'm not spoiling anything) is an evidentiary hearing, for heavens sakes! And I couldn't really explain the plot if I wanted to, but here's the quick summary: It's fifteen years after Chinatown and Jake Gittes Jack Nicholson) has become older, fatter, and a good deal more bitter. He's now an Investigator respected throughout LA, but he's still haunted by his experiences with the Mulwrays, especially the late Evelyn. The film begins with a jealous husband, Jake Berman (Harvey Keitel), storming into a hotel room and killing his wife's lover, with Jake listening in the next room. Of course, you know the crime probably wasn't entirely about love or lust and that money probably had something to do with it. Money, history, and oil, actually. And it spins in circles from there.
It's easy to notice that the film slacks off at around the half-way point. It's then that you realize just how tight Robert Towne's Chinatown script was. Even at a shred over two hours, every word counts, every gesture, every twist. Two Jakes is flabby in comparison. The dialogue is pleasantly hardboiled and the actors enjoy delivering it, but the resolutions of the various mysteries mostly fall flat. You either see them coming, or don't understand when they arrive. It's to Towne and director Jack Nicholson's credit that the film ends on a number of satisfying grace notes.
Nicholson's direction is almost never the source of the film's flaws. And this is legitimately high praise in a film as twisting and convoluted as this. Of course, he again makes you appreciate the brilliant economy of Roman Polanski's direction of Chinatown, a film with an immeasurable amount of class. Nicholson produces several wonderful moments including a beautiful pull shot from the ocean to a teatime conversation with Kahn (who Chinatown fans will avidly remember). Nicholson and director of photography Vilmos Zsigmond capture a Los Angeles of burnt out dreams, on the brink of overdevelopment and overexpansion. The film has noir stylings but it respectfully looks different from Chinatown.
Nicholson's performance is more a study of what has happened to the actor since Chinatown, rather than what has happened to the character. Because Jack was less of an icon when Chinatown was made, the original Jake Gittes is one of his least iconic performances. By the time he won his Oscar the next year for One Flew Over The Cuckoo's nest Nicholson had already become JACK (in all caps) and he hasn't looked back. In Two Jakes, Jake Gittes has become JACK. There's no getting around it. However, there's also no getting around the fact that Nicholson is a great actor and even if his performances are frequently variations on a theme, it's a pretty super theme.
Two Jakes is peppered with supporting performances of varying degrees of depth. Harvey Keitel has never been better as the second of the two Jakes. His character is emotionally complicated and perhaps the only person in the film (besides Gittes) who gets to go through a character arc. He plays it wonderfully. The femmes fatale in the film, as played by Madeline Stowe and Meg Tilly are less and more complicated than they seem. Ruben Blade, Richard Farnsworth, and Eli Wallach provide capable support when they're given anything to do.
The fact is that like the Godfather 3, if you came upon Two Jakes with a completely open mind, you'd find it a complicated thriller, vastly more substantial than most films of the genre. The fact that it's got its flaws that it'll never compare to Chinatown are the basis for a 7/10 rating.
One Word Describes It Best: Convoluted
ccthemovieman-16 July 2006
Being a "sequel" to "Chinatown," I had high expectations of this film. I even gave it two looks - one on VHS and then one a few years later on DVD - because I wanted so much to like it....but it stunk each time. What a waste of money.
The only thing going for it is the beautiful film-work and the great 1940s atmosphere, as "Chinatown" had some 16 years earlier when that film came out. (Kind of long wait for a sequel, anyway, don't you think?)
If ever a movie could be called "convoluted," it's this one. It made Chinatown as simple as "Bambi." Even the mainline critics all agreed this was incoherent in its storytelling. It's less confusing, but not much, if you know the characters from Chinatown since there are references to "Kathryn Mulray." However, it's just too frustrating to watch and try to follow what's going on.
I know lots of people who loved "Chinatown" but not one who likes this film.
The only thing going for it is the beautiful film-work and the great 1940s atmosphere, as "Chinatown" had some 16 years earlier when that film came out. (Kind of long wait for a sequel, anyway, don't you think?)
If ever a movie could be called "convoluted," it's this one. It made Chinatown as simple as "Bambi." Even the mainline critics all agreed this was incoherent in its storytelling. It's less confusing, but not much, if you know the characters from Chinatown since there are references to "Kathryn Mulray." However, it's just too frustrating to watch and try to follow what's going on.
I know lots of people who loved "Chinatown" but not one who likes this film.
Nicholson
gavin694223 March 2017
The sequel to "Chinatown" (1974) finds Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) investigating adultery and murder... and the money that comes from oil.
Made 16 years after its famous predecessor, the film had a very troubled production, and was supposed to be made around 1985. Originally, producer Robert Evans was to play the "second" Jake, but Towne, who was going to direct the film at that time, did not think he was the right choice and fired him. After this, Nicholson ended up directing (and it would be his last film to date).
Obviously, it was never going to be as good as the original. But it did not deserve to flop, either. Jack Nicholson is commanding in his performance (and direction), and I would suspect that the film would have a growing fan base as Harvey Keitel's star rose post-Tarantino. This is the same great underworld as before, and I wish a third film would have come to pass.
Made 16 years after its famous predecessor, the film had a very troubled production, and was supposed to be made around 1985. Originally, producer Robert Evans was to play the "second" Jake, but Towne, who was going to direct the film at that time, did not think he was the right choice and fired him. After this, Nicholson ended up directing (and it would be his last film to date).
Obviously, it was never going to be as good as the original. But it did not deserve to flop, either. Jack Nicholson is commanding in his performance (and direction), and I would suspect that the film would have a growing fan base as Harvey Keitel's star rose post-Tarantino. This is the same great underworld as before, and I wish a third film would have come to pass.
A Surprisingly Under-appreciated Sequel
jzappa4 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Knowing this Chinatown sequel's detested reputation, I was too interested in seeing a movie directed by Jack Nicholson to turn away. I was surprised to find that it is very under-appreciated. Nicholson is quite an inventive, if a little show-offy, director. His confident helming of the very late sequel to a highly revered contemporary classic is full of interesting shots and his performance realistically portrays an older, wiser Jake Gittes who has been seasoned with philosophies on the pain and importance of the past.
It is not simply on account of Nicholson. Robert Towne's own continuation of his predecessor is quite creative. Harvey Keitel plays the second Jake, who has hired the initial Jake to catch his wife cheating on him red-handed. In the course of the sting, Keitel up and shoots the adulterous lover, who turns out to be his real estate partner. Nicholson is now under intense scrutiny for his unwitting part in the crime and has to figure out if it was justifiable homicide or straight murder. The case proceeds to elude to California's booming oil industry as well as his own past after he stumbles upon a wire recording during the investigation that mentions the daughter of Faye Dunaway's ill-fated character in the last film.
The Two Jakes, to me, can stand on its own with Chinatown. Polanski directed the first film much much differently than Nicholson addresses this follow-up. I don't believe in the case of Chinatown a sequel needs to be a comparable continuation. Making a second installment sixteen years later allows a lot of license for it to be its own beast. Some such sequels done that way are disasters. The Two Jakes stays afloat. And Madeleine Stowe remains the most insatiably attractive woman of any superlative comment that I've made within the past month, at least. And I've made a lot.
The film's theatrical trailer is actually incredible. It's narrated by Gittes, telling us how the war was good for Los Angeles in so many different ways that contribute to his business, as extremely dry bits of humor throughout the film punctuate it here and there and provocative, often voyeuristic shots from the movie are included.
It is not simply on account of Nicholson. Robert Towne's own continuation of his predecessor is quite creative. Harvey Keitel plays the second Jake, who has hired the initial Jake to catch his wife cheating on him red-handed. In the course of the sting, Keitel up and shoots the adulterous lover, who turns out to be his real estate partner. Nicholson is now under intense scrutiny for his unwitting part in the crime and has to figure out if it was justifiable homicide or straight murder. The case proceeds to elude to California's booming oil industry as well as his own past after he stumbles upon a wire recording during the investigation that mentions the daughter of Faye Dunaway's ill-fated character in the last film.
The Two Jakes, to me, can stand on its own with Chinatown. Polanski directed the first film much much differently than Nicholson addresses this follow-up. I don't believe in the case of Chinatown a sequel needs to be a comparable continuation. Making a second installment sixteen years later allows a lot of license for it to be its own beast. Some such sequels done that way are disasters. The Two Jakes stays afloat. And Madeleine Stowe remains the most insatiably attractive woman of any superlative comment that I've made within the past month, at least. And I've made a lot.
The film's theatrical trailer is actually incredible. It's narrated by Gittes, telling us how the war was good for Los Angeles in so many different ways that contribute to his business, as extremely dry bits of humor throughout the film punctuate it here and there and provocative, often voyeuristic shots from the movie are included.
It's not the classic Chinatown is, but it's a very good movie.
gottogorunning17 August 2005
Most reviews pull The Two Jakes to pieces, except for a very well-considered one by Roger Ebert (find it at the Chicago Sun-Times).
Of course, it's not the classic Chinatown is, but it's a damned good movie. It's about the past, how it pervades our lives for the rest of our days, and how we assimilate it into our futures.
Many have complained that the film is convoluted, that when the key revelation comes (I ain't givin' that away) you miss the impact of it. I strongly disagree with this. I for one had actually figured out the revelation before it happened - this didn't bother me because I wanted so much for it to be what I had thought it was going to be. And when it comes, it's so subtle you could almost be forgiven for missing it. It's lovely, so comforting in a very ironic way.
All I'll say is, pay attention to the scene where Jake (Nicholson) goes to see Kahn (the unmistakable James Hong). Something about the flowers...
Anyway, I'm drifting. The Two Jakes is subtle, well-crafted, and when all is revealed, so very simple. The 'convoluted' events in the plot serve to illustrate what a single, simple desire can cause.
Just watch it. Bear in mind the events and characters from Chinatown, but only so that you have a back story for these characters and not a standard to which they should be compared.
Of course, it's not the classic Chinatown is, but it's a damned good movie. It's about the past, how it pervades our lives for the rest of our days, and how we assimilate it into our futures.
Many have complained that the film is convoluted, that when the key revelation comes (I ain't givin' that away) you miss the impact of it. I strongly disagree with this. I for one had actually figured out the revelation before it happened - this didn't bother me because I wanted so much for it to be what I had thought it was going to be. And when it comes, it's so subtle you could almost be forgiven for missing it. It's lovely, so comforting in a very ironic way.
All I'll say is, pay attention to the scene where Jake (Nicholson) goes to see Kahn (the unmistakable James Hong). Something about the flowers...
Anyway, I'm drifting. The Two Jakes is subtle, well-crafted, and when all is revealed, so very simple. The 'convoluted' events in the plot serve to illustrate what a single, simple desire can cause.
Just watch it. Bear in mind the events and characters from Chinatown, but only so that you have a back story for these characters and not a standard to which they should be compared.
Adequate Sequel to "Chinatown"
tfrizzell4 November 2000
"The Two Jakes" is the sequel to "Chinatown", a film that really did not need another chapter. However, with that said this is an above average film that works most of the time. Jack Nicholson returns and is sucked into another web of deception and corruption. He is hired by Harvey Keitel to follow his two-timing wife (a very sexy Madeleine Stowe). Just like before, the more Nicholson learns about his case, the stranger and more complicated it becomes. Everything will lead to fireworks which involves a housing development and oil-drilling in the Los Angeles area. Like "Chinatown", "The Two Jakes" is multi-layered and somewhat confusing at times. It will likely take multiple viewings to get the full effect of this film if you are unable to get it on the first try. Robert Towne's screenplay is smart, but Nicholson's direction lacks the creativity and overall brilliance of Roman Polanski's. Meg Tilly is adequate in the film. Ruben Blades and Richard Farnsworth both do good work, but overall nothing in this film can match what was accomplished 16 years earlier with its predecessor. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
a sequel to 1974's Chinatown,lacking the same spark and imagination
disdressed1212 January 2007
this movie is the sequel to 1974's Chinatown.Jack Nicholson directed this film and stars again as Jake Gittes.Robert Towne wrote the script and the movie is based on characters created by him.it is hard not to compare this movie to its predecessor and comparisons are inevitable.so here goes.First off this movie plods along at a snail's pace.there doesn't seem to be a clear direction.Also,Gittes seems less likable this time around.the surrounding characters seem to lack any real imagination,as do the situations.put simply,there is no spark.and the femme fatalle angle,which worked so well in the original,doesn't work here.but then who could fill the shoes of the mega star charismatic actress Faye Dunnaway?no-one.so,the femme in this case is less fatalle.the script is also lacking in imagination,giving the director(Nicholson)less to work with.you will be bored nearly to tears here.a disappointing followup to Chinatown.,as a stand alone film,however-also disappointing.this movie is not quite awful,but not quite good either.not recommended. 3/10
The Return Of J.J. Gittes
bkoganbing4 May 2009
Fortunately for the movie going public, Jack Nicholson got to do another version of one of his most popular roles as private detective J.J. Gittes in The Two Jakes. It's not as good as Chinatown, few films are, but Nicholson is right back in stride as the laconic Philip Marlowe like private eye from the Raymond Chandler era of fictional detectives.
In fact repeating their roles from Chinatown besides Nicholson are James Hong, Joe Mantell, and Perry Lopez. And the plot is a continuation in many ways of Chinatown and the case that we knew would haunt Nicholson the rest of his days.
It's now post World War II in Los Angeles and Nicholson has been retained by real estate mogul Harvey Keitel whose first name is also Jake in a divorce matter. He's hoping to catch wife Meg Tilly en flagrato with his partner whom he's been thinking has been two timing him with his wife. Nicholson keeping up with the times as a good gumshoe has now the latest recording device and he's got the trysting place bugged with he and Keitel in the next room.
But when at one point Keitel produces a revolver and bursts into the two of them and shoots the partner it looks at first like a case of Keitel acting on the unwritten law. But appearances are quite deceiving, as deceiving as they were in Chinatown. And a lot of people want that recording of the event Nicholson most of all because it has a mention of the child of Faye Dunaway from back in the case he Nicholson was involved with in Chinatown.
The rest of the film is Nicholson stalling everybody while he tries to find out just what all this is about. Along the way he meets criminal attorney for Keitel, Eli Wallach, a Mickey Cohen like mobster in Ruben Blades, and the widow of Keitel's partner, Madeline Stowe who is ready and willing to make Nicholson an offer he will find it hard to refuse.
Nicholson directed himself in this version, taking over for Roman Polanski whom as we know was in exile from the USA back then. He knew his character well and smoothly continued the saga of J.J. Gittes. The atmosphere of the Forties Los Angeles is well done.
It's mentioned that a third Gittes film was planned. Hopefully those plans are not scrapped and we'll get to see Nicholson once again in one of my favorite roles of his.
In fact repeating their roles from Chinatown besides Nicholson are James Hong, Joe Mantell, and Perry Lopez. And the plot is a continuation in many ways of Chinatown and the case that we knew would haunt Nicholson the rest of his days.
It's now post World War II in Los Angeles and Nicholson has been retained by real estate mogul Harvey Keitel whose first name is also Jake in a divorce matter. He's hoping to catch wife Meg Tilly en flagrato with his partner whom he's been thinking has been two timing him with his wife. Nicholson keeping up with the times as a good gumshoe has now the latest recording device and he's got the trysting place bugged with he and Keitel in the next room.
But when at one point Keitel produces a revolver and bursts into the two of them and shoots the partner it looks at first like a case of Keitel acting on the unwritten law. But appearances are quite deceiving, as deceiving as they were in Chinatown. And a lot of people want that recording of the event Nicholson most of all because it has a mention of the child of Faye Dunaway from back in the case he Nicholson was involved with in Chinatown.
The rest of the film is Nicholson stalling everybody while he tries to find out just what all this is about. Along the way he meets criminal attorney for Keitel, Eli Wallach, a Mickey Cohen like mobster in Ruben Blades, and the widow of Keitel's partner, Madeline Stowe who is ready and willing to make Nicholson an offer he will find it hard to refuse.
Nicholson directed himself in this version, taking over for Roman Polanski whom as we know was in exile from the USA back then. He knew his character well and smoothly continued the saga of J.J. Gittes. The atmosphere of the Forties Los Angeles is well done.
It's mentioned that a third Gittes film was planned. Hopefully those plans are not scrapped and we'll get to see Nicholson once again in one of my favorite roles of his.
Haunted By The Past
seymourblack-119 September 2012
Warning: Spoilers
In "The Two Jakes" (just as in "Chinatown"), private investigator Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) finds himself in a tight spot after having been misled by one of his clients. The deception in "Chinatown" related to a client's identity whereas in this case, it's hidden motives that lead to big problems for Jake. The subsequent investigations in both movies soon mushroom into something far larger than originally anticipated and eventually uncover serious corruption involving California's valuable resources.
The similarities between the two plots are not untypical of what's normally seen where a successful movie is followed by a sequel, but in order to establish its own value convincingly, a sequel needs to provide something different or better than the original. In this case, something different is attempted as, due to the passage of time since the original film, Jake has evolved significantly as a character and his preoccupation with past events fills him with sadness and regret as well as a profound sense of loss.
The events in "The Two Jakes" take place in Los Angeles in 1948. Eleven years have elapsed since Evelyn Mulwray was shot in Chinatown and Jake is now considerably more prosperous. His business has expanded and been relocated to an impressive new building and despite the often sleazy nature of his work, he's gained a certain degree of respectability as well as some extra weight.
A property developer, who's convinced that his wife is having an affair, approaches Jake with what appears to be a routine job to gather evidence against her. Jake supplies the recording equipment and cameras to record what transpires when he and his client, Jake Berman (Harvey Keitel) go to the motel where Mrs Berman (Meg Tilly) is expected to be with her lover.
On the night when their plan is put into action, Berman breaks into the motel room and on finding his wife with another man, simply shoots him dead. Jake is shocked to discover that the dead man is Berman's business partner and his wife, Lillian Bodine (Madeleine Stowe) thinks that what transpired was a planned murder. Furthermore, Lillian's attorney Chuck Newty (Frederic Forrest) tells Jake that it appears that he was an accessory to murder and that unless he can prove that Berman planned to kill his partner, he will see to it that Jake is sued and financially ruined in the process.
Mysteriously, the recording made at the motel included a couple of mentions of Katherine Mulwray's name and Jake decides to find out their significance as well as pursuing his investigation into what lay behind the killing of Mark Bodine (John Hackett). He discovers that Berman and Bodine were involved in selling houses in a subdivision of the San Fernando Valley and that, in the event of Bodine's death, Berman and his wife would inherit the whole business. As it seemed possible that there may be oil deposits on the land, the business could, in fact, be more valuable than first realised and in that case, whoever held the mineral rights could potentially become very rich. Jake pursues the various strands of his investigation with limited success until he eventually finds the answers to all his questions from someone who, like him, is haunted by the past.
An important prerequisite for fully understanding and enjoying "The Two Jakes" is an ability to recall the complicated plot of "Chinatown" and the names of its various characters. As this sequel was released 16 years after the original film, it's obvious that a high proportion of cinema-goers at that time would not have been able to appreciate it sufficiently to enjoy it themselves or to recommend it to their friends and consequently it's also not surprising that it wasn't a box office success.
In a very empathetic performance which is both measured and subtle, Jack Nicholson conveys just how jaded, world weary and cynical Jake has become since his experiences in Chinatown and also how deeply he's haunted by the past. The remainder of the cast also contribute strong performances with Keitel, Stowe and Tilly being particularly good.
"The Two Jakes" falls short of the brilliance of its classic predecessor but there's still much to commend it. Its story of adultery, greed, blackmail and murder is intriguing throughout and extremely well written. The inclusion of Peggy Lee's song "Don't Smoke In Bed", some eye-catching art deco surroundings and Vilmos Zsigmond's stunning cinematography also contribute immensely to the wonderful atmosphere of the piece which seems to evoke late-1940s L.A. so convincingly. The only caveat, however, is to make sure to see "Chinatown" before watching this movie.
The similarities between the two plots are not untypical of what's normally seen where a successful movie is followed by a sequel, but in order to establish its own value convincingly, a sequel needs to provide something different or better than the original. In this case, something different is attempted as, due to the passage of time since the original film, Jake has evolved significantly as a character and his preoccupation with past events fills him with sadness and regret as well as a profound sense of loss.
The events in "The Two Jakes" take place in Los Angeles in 1948. Eleven years have elapsed since Evelyn Mulwray was shot in Chinatown and Jake is now considerably more prosperous. His business has expanded and been relocated to an impressive new building and despite the often sleazy nature of his work, he's gained a certain degree of respectability as well as some extra weight.
A property developer, who's convinced that his wife is having an affair, approaches Jake with what appears to be a routine job to gather evidence against her. Jake supplies the recording equipment and cameras to record what transpires when he and his client, Jake Berman (Harvey Keitel) go to the motel where Mrs Berman (Meg Tilly) is expected to be with her lover.
On the night when their plan is put into action, Berman breaks into the motel room and on finding his wife with another man, simply shoots him dead. Jake is shocked to discover that the dead man is Berman's business partner and his wife, Lillian Bodine (Madeleine Stowe) thinks that what transpired was a planned murder. Furthermore, Lillian's attorney Chuck Newty (Frederic Forrest) tells Jake that it appears that he was an accessory to murder and that unless he can prove that Berman planned to kill his partner, he will see to it that Jake is sued and financially ruined in the process.
Mysteriously, the recording made at the motel included a couple of mentions of Katherine Mulwray's name and Jake decides to find out their significance as well as pursuing his investigation into what lay behind the killing of Mark Bodine (John Hackett). He discovers that Berman and Bodine were involved in selling houses in a subdivision of the San Fernando Valley and that, in the event of Bodine's death, Berman and his wife would inherit the whole business. As it seemed possible that there may be oil deposits on the land, the business could, in fact, be more valuable than first realised and in that case, whoever held the mineral rights could potentially become very rich. Jake pursues the various strands of his investigation with limited success until he eventually finds the answers to all his questions from someone who, like him, is haunted by the past.
An important prerequisite for fully understanding and enjoying "The Two Jakes" is an ability to recall the complicated plot of "Chinatown" and the names of its various characters. As this sequel was released 16 years after the original film, it's obvious that a high proportion of cinema-goers at that time would not have been able to appreciate it sufficiently to enjoy it themselves or to recommend it to their friends and consequently it's also not surprising that it wasn't a box office success.
In a very empathetic performance which is both measured and subtle, Jack Nicholson conveys just how jaded, world weary and cynical Jake has become since his experiences in Chinatown and also how deeply he's haunted by the past. The remainder of the cast also contribute strong performances with Keitel, Stowe and Tilly being particularly good.
"The Two Jakes" falls short of the brilliance of its classic predecessor but there's still much to commend it. Its story of adultery, greed, blackmail and murder is intriguing throughout and extremely well written. The inclusion of Peggy Lee's song "Don't Smoke In Bed", some eye-catching art deco surroundings and Vilmos Zsigmond's stunning cinematography also contribute immensely to the wonderful atmosphere of the piece which seems to evoke late-1940s L.A. so convincingly. The only caveat, however, is to make sure to see "Chinatown" before watching this movie.
Don't forget it, movie lover, it's "Chinatown" sequel...
ElMaruecan822 July 2021
"Forget it, Jake... it's Chinatown!"
It's on these gloomy notes that ended one of the greatest American classics and perhaps the most memorable instance of a villain winning over the hero, leaving him nothing but his eyes to cry and his whole life to figure out what went wrong... although J. J. Gittes was smart enough to realize that "as little as possible" should've remained his motto.
But if no one could ever forget that "Chinatown", one can't say the same about its follow-up of sixteen years later: "The Two Jakes", directed by Jack Nicholson and written by Oscar-winner Robert Towne. A box-office flop that yet got two enthusiastic thumbs up from both Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel, and if there's one thing I've learned from these two cinematic backpackers it's that they could be right or they could be wrong, but they were never wrong at the same time.
And so no matter how meticulously you reassembled the pieces of the puzzle-like plot Towne engineered, there's still one riddle left by "The Two Jakes": what went wrong?
I don't see any major malfunction in the directing. There's never a moment where Nicholson indulges to fancy directing. Polanski was out at the time for reasons you know and Nicholson should get the credit to have made his "Two Jakes" a great-looking film with enough faux glossiness and sophistication to hide once again the nastiest secrets like a neatly designed show house that covers the most stinking sewage. Besides, Los Angeles hasn't changed much in 11 years, and the neo-noir atmosphere is still breathable with the vintage cars, the fedora hats, the nylon panties, the rocks on the scotch and that sunny weather tainting the city in sepia.
I wouldn't blame the writing either It's not in the same league than the original but we're talking of one of the most perfectly written screenplays. "The Two Jakes" is an intelligent script or at the very least one that trusts our intelligence. The story makes some neat parallels with the first film creating an early sense of deja-vu that gets eerier as the plot progresses. It opens with a cheating situation to be solved in trial with the help of a little recording. The man supposed to "discover" his wife cheating on him is Julius Berman aka "Jake" (the second one) played by Harvey Keitel. We see him rehearsing his lines before confronting his wife (the beautifully cast Meg Tilly) with a man named Bodine and as the first Jake points out "it's unnatural to give the date in such a situation" and it's for subtle touches like that I felt confident the film would swim in the same waters than the first.
And so the "acting" mentor is outsmarted by his client... again and while the 'surprise encounter' is recorded, Berman kills Bodine. The plot thickens when Gittes learns there's a real estate company named B & B Home Development, guess what the Bs stand for? Gittes finds himself in a situation where there's more than frivolity or nerves cracking involved, there's an issue of land and development; once again, the tree that hides the forest but with oil replacing water in the automobile era. With Towne, there's always that obscene parallel between lust and sex and the way men literally rape nature to take from it the seeds of the future. In a very well-written exchange, Richard Farnsworth plays an oil tycoon who makes an interesting parallel between the drilling system and a stallion with a mare. Colorful maybe but Gittes can read between the lines.
It's hard to keep a track on what's going on, there are a lot of secondary characters, mobsters, cops and two lawyers, Eli Wallach representing Mr. Berman and Frederic Forrest Bodine's widow (Madeleine Stowe), he tells Gittes that if Berman pleads guilty, Mrs. Bodine will get her due on her husband's shares, if he pleads insanity, Gittes will be responsible of the murder. It seems that Berman is the man to sink but Keitel knows how to make his Berman sympathetic enough to keep Gittes on his guard. Overall through his investigation, Gittes, assisted by Walsh (Joe Mantell) and pressured by Lou Escobar (Perry Lopez) will find more layers in this case than in a millefeuille, with the only thing that makes him untouchable is the recording no one knows where it is hidden.
He knows it can compromise Berman but this is a Gittes who's more cautious and who wouldn't commit the same mistake twice (or a third time), he knows there are big players out there and so we see him stalling trying to get as many clues as he can before acting. Of course, there's a lot in that stalling and the direction isn't flawless: there's an explosion too operatic not to be risible, some sex and fight scenes are ham-fisted and I was wondering whether the script changes Nicholson made on Towne's script involved that needlessly lengthy sex scene with Mrs. Bodine. There are some great shocking moments like when Gittes confronts the son of Evelyn's cop killer (David Keith) and we realize he hasn't lost one bit of his repartee. There is an interesting use of voice-over that never sounds cliché, it makes sense that the more mature Gittes would process his thoughts before acting. And there's that tension spiraling all over the story with regular seismic waves popping out of nowhere like some resurgences from the ground, the hidden, the past.
When Gittes hears the name of Kathryn Mullray in the recording, there's the sentiment that he might come full circle with the scars of time and his final scenes are quite haunting.
Which leaves the question asked: what went wrong? Maybe the project was doomed by its past, like Gittes, Maybe if Gittes was another detective, the film might have worked better, but if he wasn't Gittes, there couldn't have been that story.
It's on these gloomy notes that ended one of the greatest American classics and perhaps the most memorable instance of a villain winning over the hero, leaving him nothing but his eyes to cry and his whole life to figure out what went wrong... although J. J. Gittes was smart enough to realize that "as little as possible" should've remained his motto.
But if no one could ever forget that "Chinatown", one can't say the same about its follow-up of sixteen years later: "The Two Jakes", directed by Jack Nicholson and written by Oscar-winner Robert Towne. A box-office flop that yet got two enthusiastic thumbs up from both Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel, and if there's one thing I've learned from these two cinematic backpackers it's that they could be right or they could be wrong, but they were never wrong at the same time.
And so no matter how meticulously you reassembled the pieces of the puzzle-like plot Towne engineered, there's still one riddle left by "The Two Jakes": what went wrong?
I don't see any major malfunction in the directing. There's never a moment where Nicholson indulges to fancy directing. Polanski was out at the time for reasons you know and Nicholson should get the credit to have made his "Two Jakes" a great-looking film with enough faux glossiness and sophistication to hide once again the nastiest secrets like a neatly designed show house that covers the most stinking sewage. Besides, Los Angeles hasn't changed much in 11 years, and the neo-noir atmosphere is still breathable with the vintage cars, the fedora hats, the nylon panties, the rocks on the scotch and that sunny weather tainting the city in sepia.
I wouldn't blame the writing either It's not in the same league than the original but we're talking of one of the most perfectly written screenplays. "The Two Jakes" is an intelligent script or at the very least one that trusts our intelligence. The story makes some neat parallels with the first film creating an early sense of deja-vu that gets eerier as the plot progresses. It opens with a cheating situation to be solved in trial with the help of a little recording. The man supposed to "discover" his wife cheating on him is Julius Berman aka "Jake" (the second one) played by Harvey Keitel. We see him rehearsing his lines before confronting his wife (the beautifully cast Meg Tilly) with a man named Bodine and as the first Jake points out "it's unnatural to give the date in such a situation" and it's for subtle touches like that I felt confident the film would swim in the same waters than the first.
And so the "acting" mentor is outsmarted by his client... again and while the 'surprise encounter' is recorded, Berman kills Bodine. The plot thickens when Gittes learns there's a real estate company named B & B Home Development, guess what the Bs stand for? Gittes finds himself in a situation where there's more than frivolity or nerves cracking involved, there's an issue of land and development; once again, the tree that hides the forest but with oil replacing water in the automobile era. With Towne, there's always that obscene parallel between lust and sex and the way men literally rape nature to take from it the seeds of the future. In a very well-written exchange, Richard Farnsworth plays an oil tycoon who makes an interesting parallel between the drilling system and a stallion with a mare. Colorful maybe but Gittes can read between the lines.
It's hard to keep a track on what's going on, there are a lot of secondary characters, mobsters, cops and two lawyers, Eli Wallach representing Mr. Berman and Frederic Forrest Bodine's widow (Madeleine Stowe), he tells Gittes that if Berman pleads guilty, Mrs. Bodine will get her due on her husband's shares, if he pleads insanity, Gittes will be responsible of the murder. It seems that Berman is the man to sink but Keitel knows how to make his Berman sympathetic enough to keep Gittes on his guard. Overall through his investigation, Gittes, assisted by Walsh (Joe Mantell) and pressured by Lou Escobar (Perry Lopez) will find more layers in this case than in a millefeuille, with the only thing that makes him untouchable is the recording no one knows where it is hidden.
He knows it can compromise Berman but this is a Gittes who's more cautious and who wouldn't commit the same mistake twice (or a third time), he knows there are big players out there and so we see him stalling trying to get as many clues as he can before acting. Of course, there's a lot in that stalling and the direction isn't flawless: there's an explosion too operatic not to be risible, some sex and fight scenes are ham-fisted and I was wondering whether the script changes Nicholson made on Towne's script involved that needlessly lengthy sex scene with Mrs. Bodine. There are some great shocking moments like when Gittes confronts the son of Evelyn's cop killer (David Keith) and we realize he hasn't lost one bit of his repartee. There is an interesting use of voice-over that never sounds cliché, it makes sense that the more mature Gittes would process his thoughts before acting. And there's that tension spiraling all over the story with regular seismic waves popping out of nowhere like some resurgences from the ground, the hidden, the past.
When Gittes hears the name of Kathryn Mullray in the recording, there's the sentiment that he might come full circle with the scars of time and his final scenes are quite haunting.
Which leaves the question asked: what went wrong? Maybe the project was doomed by its past, like Gittes, Maybe if Gittes was another detective, the film might have worked better, but if he wasn't Gittes, there couldn't have been that story.
forget it, Jake...it's not Chinatown
mjneu5911 January 2011
Jack Nicholson deserves a lion's share of the credit for bringing the belated sequel to Roman Polanski's 'Chinatown' to the big screen, putting heroic effort into a project that never had much hope of matching the original. Comparison is of course always the cheapest form of criticism, but it's hard not to notice the holes in a cast substituting Harvey Keitel and Meg Tilly (an unconvincing femme fatale) for John Huston and Faye Dunaway, and Nicholson himself proves to be an only adequate director (under duress, to be sure).
Robert Towne's incredibly convoluted plot, involving oil swindles and real estate grabs in post-war Los Angeles, is only a shadow of his earlier, Oscar winning effort, with all the hard-boiled gumshoe narration added strictly for mood when it should have been used for clarification (viewers will sympathize with Jake Gittes when he's told, "you may think you know what's going on around here, but you don't.") Cameo roles (like oil magnate Richard Farnsworth) should have been major characters; some of the major characters (nymphomaniac widow Madeleine Stowe) should have been walk-ons; and the essential film noir villain (the other Jake, played by Keitel) ends up as a tragic hero.
The timing of the production was likewise all wrong, arriving after a decade of dumbed-down FX spectacles had made any notion of ambivalence all but extinct in a Hollywood drama. Perhaps the kindest thing to be said about the film is that it reinforces the classic status of the original.
Robert Towne's incredibly convoluted plot, involving oil swindles and real estate grabs in post-war Los Angeles, is only a shadow of his earlier, Oscar winning effort, with all the hard-boiled gumshoe narration added strictly for mood when it should have been used for clarification (viewers will sympathize with Jake Gittes when he's told, "you may think you know what's going on around here, but you don't.") Cameo roles (like oil magnate Richard Farnsworth) should have been major characters; some of the major characters (nymphomaniac widow Madeleine Stowe) should have been walk-ons; and the essential film noir villain (the other Jake, played by Keitel) ends up as a tragic hero.
The timing of the production was likewise all wrong, arriving after a decade of dumbed-down FX spectacles had made any notion of ambivalence all but extinct in a Hollywood drama. Perhaps the kindest thing to be said about the film is that it reinforces the classic status of the original.
Follow the money
dkncd14 September 2007
"The Two Jakes" is the sequel to the famous mystery film "Chinatown". It is true that "The Two Jakes" isn't a classic of the caliber of its prequel, but then few films are. None the less, it is an excellent film in its own right.
Rather than the 1930s setting of "Chinatown", this film moves to the 1940s with a similar splendor. Jack Nicholson aptly reprises his role as Jake Gittes and the supporting cast is solid as well. The important point about "The Two Jakes" is that it succeeds in developing a thoughtful and convoluted mystery in the same spirit as its prequel. Also important is that it successfully integrates material from "Chinatown" into its story. Jack Nicholson's monologues to accompany the story were hit or miss. Some of them were clever, others seemed quite trite. Overall I found "The Two Jakes" to be a satisfactory sequel to "Chinatown", which is saying a lot.
Rather than the 1930s setting of "Chinatown", this film moves to the 1940s with a similar splendor. Jack Nicholson aptly reprises his role as Jake Gittes and the supporting cast is solid as well. The important point about "The Two Jakes" is that it succeeds in developing a thoughtful and convoluted mystery in the same spirit as its prequel. Also important is that it successfully integrates material from "Chinatown" into its story. Jack Nicholson's monologues to accompany the story were hit or miss. Some of them were clever, others seemed quite trite. Overall I found "The Two Jakes" to be a satisfactory sequel to "Chinatown", which is saying a lot.
The look is nice, but the mystery is lacking
paulijcalderon13 November 2016
It's always difficult for a sequel to live up to the original. Jack Nicholson did manage to recapture the feel and tone of "Chinatown", but not so much with the story unfortunately.
The look of the film is good. All the locations, lighting and camera-work are all nice. The music is very suiting with its somber and calm atmosphere. It feels like the whole thing was shot during magic hour, and every other scene seems to have a sunset in the background. This is a beautiful movie to look at. Everything in the design and look department is done right, but the rest doesn't live up.
Jack Nicholson really tried and I feel a bit bad for him. I can tell that he really wanted to show how J.J. Gittes' memories were haunting him years later. If that would have been the focus, then maybe it would have worked. But, the story that we are treated with is not interesting or intriguing and not much actually happens. I kept checking what time it was every 5 minutes or so. I was really disappointed because the movie never really finds itself. Towards the end they started hinting at something that could be good. But, it's only hinted at.
I liked the one scene where he is at a nightclub, but the only reason was because of the nice lighting and cinematography. It's very melodramatic and there's the classic noir voice over. There's never any big twist or something to really surprise you. It's mostly just Jack Nicholson walking around in a fedora trying to find something interesting to do. It was underwhelming and it lacked some intensity and mystery.
I don't recommend it that much. If you are a fan of Nicholson and "Chinatown", then maybe check it out because of curiosity. But, don't expect much at all.
The look of the film is good. All the locations, lighting and camera-work are all nice. The music is very suiting with its somber and calm atmosphere. It feels like the whole thing was shot during magic hour, and every other scene seems to have a sunset in the background. This is a beautiful movie to look at. Everything in the design and look department is done right, but the rest doesn't live up.
Jack Nicholson really tried and I feel a bit bad for him. I can tell that he really wanted to show how J.J. Gittes' memories were haunting him years later. If that would have been the focus, then maybe it would have worked. But, the story that we are treated with is not interesting or intriguing and not much actually happens. I kept checking what time it was every 5 minutes or so. I was really disappointed because the movie never really finds itself. Towards the end they started hinting at something that could be good. But, it's only hinted at.
I liked the one scene where he is at a nightclub, but the only reason was because of the nice lighting and cinematography. It's very melodramatic and there's the classic noir voice over. There's never any big twist or something to really surprise you. It's mostly just Jack Nicholson walking around in a fedora trying to find something interesting to do. It was underwhelming and it lacked some intensity and mystery.
I don't recommend it that much. If you are a fan of Nicholson and "Chinatown", then maybe check it out because of curiosity. But, don't expect much at all.
The Two Jakes
iquine30 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
(Flash Review)
It clocks in at 2:17 and felt like 3:17. Attempting to be one of those films where the plot slowly unfolds and gets more intricate and interesting. Sadly, I couldn't have been more uninterested. Thankfully, Nicholson was the only interesting component as expected. He is one of the Jake's and is a private eye trying to catch a wife in the act of infidelity. Someone gets shot and the case unpeels more layers of a larger issue involving money and land and more people. The storyline was overly vague and NEVER engaged me so when important things happened, I was like I guess that was supposed to be important. Story points happened so subtly that it was hard to detect them. And there was no memorable scene(s) in the whole film. I'm already having trouble picturing parts of the film. Not good. 3 points for Jack and 1 point for some occasionally good cinematography; hard to come by in 1990.
It clocks in at 2:17 and felt like 3:17. Attempting to be one of those films where the plot slowly unfolds and gets more intricate and interesting. Sadly, I couldn't have been more uninterested. Thankfully, Nicholson was the only interesting component as expected. He is one of the Jake's and is a private eye trying to catch a wife in the act of infidelity. Someone gets shot and the case unpeels more layers of a larger issue involving money and land and more people. The storyline was overly vague and NEVER engaged me so when important things happened, I was like I guess that was supposed to be important. Story points happened so subtly that it was hard to detect them. And there was no memorable scene(s) in the whole film. I'm already having trouble picturing parts of the film. Not good. 3 points for Jack and 1 point for some occasionally good cinematography; hard to come by in 1990.
Confusing....but better than I expected
planktonrules9 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
"The Two Jakes" was the sequel to "Chinatown" that apparently no one wanted. Much of it was because it came out so much after the original film back in 1974. It also was directed this time by Jack Nicholson himself, as the original director, Roman Polanski, could not come to the USA to film because of an outstanding conviction for raping a 13 year-old back in 1977. Regardless, it lost a lot of money in the box office...earning back only about half what it cost to make.
The story is a bit convoluted and confusing. So, instead of talking about much of the plot, I'll just mention the set-up...you can see the rest yourself. A client, Jake Berman (Harvey Keitel), comes to see Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) because he claims his wife is having an affair. When Jake and his assistant enter the room where the wife is with her lover, Berman pushes past them....and shoots the lover. It turns out the dead man was Berman's business partner....and not surprisingly, the police arrest him. What's next? Well, a LOT!
The film looks great...and they achieved the 1948 look very nicely. It also has some terrific actors in it. And, I liked the style of the film. But it was very confusing in spots...and I had to really concentrate to know exactly what was happening much of the time. Still, not a bad film at all and with some nice surprises...and certainly much better than its reputation.
The story is a bit convoluted and confusing. So, instead of talking about much of the plot, I'll just mention the set-up...you can see the rest yourself. A client, Jake Berman (Harvey Keitel), comes to see Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) because he claims his wife is having an affair. When Jake and his assistant enter the room where the wife is with her lover, Berman pushes past them....and shoots the lover. It turns out the dead man was Berman's business partner....and not surprisingly, the police arrest him. What's next? Well, a LOT!
The film looks great...and they achieved the 1948 look very nicely. It also has some terrific actors in it. And, I liked the style of the film. But it was very confusing in spots...and I had to really concentrate to know exactly what was happening much of the time. Still, not a bad film at all and with some nice surprises...and certainly much better than its reputation.
Incoherent & disappointing
Michael_Cronin26 February 2006
Warning: Spoilers
The Two Jakes is probably the most perfect example of why no one should ever make a sequel to a masterpiece 16 years later (Godfather III, anyone?). It's very easy to say that it suffers unfairly in comparison to the masterpiece that was Chinatown, & that one should take it on its own terms. Fair enough, but to anyone who hasn't seen Chinatown, the plot of The Two Jakes is completely & utterly incomprehensible, as opposed to extremely confusing to those who have. The film can only be understood as an addition to the story that began in Chinatown, & as such, can't avoid savage comparisons when placed alongside such a vastly superior film.
It picks up the story of Jake Gittes ten years or so after the events of Chinatown. He finds himself embroiled in another seemingly straightforward infidelity case gone wrong, which leads to corruption & treachery in the highest corridors of power, this time over oil, rather than water. The twist, such as it is, involves Katherine Mulwray, the incestuous offspring of Evelyn Mulwray & her father, the vile Noah Cross, the heroine & villain from Chinatown.
Sounds good, but this interesting idea is buried within a labyrinthine mess of a plot that jumps all over the place, with real estate scams, terminal diseases, petty hoodlums, earthquakes, gay bars, & most irritating of all, Jake's over-demanding fiancé.
What buries the film is the fact that it doesn't ever really know what sort of film it actually wants to be. Chinatown was a twisted detective story that got darker & darker every minute, & left the viewer in a world where evil triumphed, nothing was certain, & no one could be trusted. The Two Jakes, however, is constantly veering between Jake's depressing musings over the past, screwball sex comedy with Madeleine Stowe's loopy widow, vague hints at conspiracy theories over who really runs Los Angeles, & a general air of cuteness around the character of Jake Gittes. Rather than being regarded by his peers as the disruptive & sleazy bedroom peeper that he is, he tends to be popular among just about everyone, cop & criminal alike. You can just hear them saying, "Oh, that Jake, he's such a character, tsk, tsk..."
There's no terrifying villain to even approach the demon that John Huston created with Noah Cross - no real villain at all, come to think of it. Harvey Keitel's Jake Berman is the architect behind the whole scam, but ends up as some sort of hero/victim who was acting with good intentions all along (despite shooting a man in cold blood), Mickey Nice (Ruben Blades) is more like a cartoon character waving weapons around & never using them, & Earl Rawley (Richard Farnsworth) is never exactly made out to be doing anything REALLY immoral or illegal, despite being the man who seems to be in charge of absolutely everything (i.e. the successor to Noah Cross).
The great twist regarding the identity of Katherine Mulwray is the final nail in the coffin. Given Jake's obsession over the past, & over her in particular, it's not convincing at all that he wouldn't have recognised her immediately, even though he meets her 'alter-ego' several times before finally realising her true identity in one of the most poorly executed revelation scenes I've ever seen. You're left thinking, "Um, so who's she really meant to be? Oh, that's right, Katherine Mulwray - but wouldn't he have known anyway, er, are you sure she's Katherine Mulwray, he didn't actually say, maybe she's someone else..."
For the psychotic Chinatown fan (& yes, I do count myself as one), there's plenty of cameos & references - Joe Mantell as Jake's offsider Walsh, Perry Lopez as a handicapped Lou Escobar, James Hong as Kahn, Evelyn Mulwray's butler, the snotty clerk in the hall of records makes an appearance, the same orange groves are used as a location (complete with the exact same 'No Trespassing' sign - it just happens to be lying around), old photos & newsclippings are used ad nauseam, despite the fact that they're stills from Chinatown that couldn't possibly have been taken as photos, & even Faye Dunaway pops up, in a brief voice-over.
Plenty of things to remind the fans what it's a sequel to, & there are some wonderfully haunting echoes of the past that constantly torments Jake Gittes, but ultimately, The Two Jakes is just a big, disappointing mess. Loads of talent, no direction.
Chinatown's writer & creator, Robert Towne, had originally envisioned a trilogy of J.J. Gittes films chronicling the history of Los Angeles, one set in the 1930's about water, one in the 1940's about oil, & another in the 1950's about the freeway system (apparently to be called 'Cloverleaf', after a type of freeway exit configuration). He, along with Robert Evans & Jack Nicholson, set up a company in the 1980's called TEN (Towne, Evans, Nicholson) to continue the endeavour, & Towne was slated to direct The Two Jakes, but he walked away long before the production actually started. The one reason that's most often cited was his objection to the original casting of producer Robert Evans as Jake Berman. Roman Polanski wasn't available to direct for obvious reasons.
So, much like Jake Gittes' own thoughts, The Two Jakes is largely a collection of "what if?"s. Had Towne still been on board, & had Polanski been available to direct, who knows what might have been?
It picks up the story of Jake Gittes ten years or so after the events of Chinatown. He finds himself embroiled in another seemingly straightforward infidelity case gone wrong, which leads to corruption & treachery in the highest corridors of power, this time over oil, rather than water. The twist, such as it is, involves Katherine Mulwray, the incestuous offspring of Evelyn Mulwray & her father, the vile Noah Cross, the heroine & villain from Chinatown.
Sounds good, but this interesting idea is buried within a labyrinthine mess of a plot that jumps all over the place, with real estate scams, terminal diseases, petty hoodlums, earthquakes, gay bars, & most irritating of all, Jake's over-demanding fiancé.
What buries the film is the fact that it doesn't ever really know what sort of film it actually wants to be. Chinatown was a twisted detective story that got darker & darker every minute, & left the viewer in a world where evil triumphed, nothing was certain, & no one could be trusted. The Two Jakes, however, is constantly veering between Jake's depressing musings over the past, screwball sex comedy with Madeleine Stowe's loopy widow, vague hints at conspiracy theories over who really runs Los Angeles, & a general air of cuteness around the character of Jake Gittes. Rather than being regarded by his peers as the disruptive & sleazy bedroom peeper that he is, he tends to be popular among just about everyone, cop & criminal alike. You can just hear them saying, "Oh, that Jake, he's such a character, tsk, tsk..."
There's no terrifying villain to even approach the demon that John Huston created with Noah Cross - no real villain at all, come to think of it. Harvey Keitel's Jake Berman is the architect behind the whole scam, but ends up as some sort of hero/victim who was acting with good intentions all along (despite shooting a man in cold blood), Mickey Nice (Ruben Blades) is more like a cartoon character waving weapons around & never using them, & Earl Rawley (Richard Farnsworth) is never exactly made out to be doing anything REALLY immoral or illegal, despite being the man who seems to be in charge of absolutely everything (i.e. the successor to Noah Cross).
The great twist regarding the identity of Katherine Mulwray is the final nail in the coffin. Given Jake's obsession over the past, & over her in particular, it's not convincing at all that he wouldn't have recognised her immediately, even though he meets her 'alter-ego' several times before finally realising her true identity in one of the most poorly executed revelation scenes I've ever seen. You're left thinking, "Um, so who's she really meant to be? Oh, that's right, Katherine Mulwray - but wouldn't he have known anyway, er, are you sure she's Katherine Mulwray, he didn't actually say, maybe she's someone else..."
For the psychotic Chinatown fan (& yes, I do count myself as one), there's plenty of cameos & references - Joe Mantell as Jake's offsider Walsh, Perry Lopez as a handicapped Lou Escobar, James Hong as Kahn, Evelyn Mulwray's butler, the snotty clerk in the hall of records makes an appearance, the same orange groves are used as a location (complete with the exact same 'No Trespassing' sign - it just happens to be lying around), old photos & newsclippings are used ad nauseam, despite the fact that they're stills from Chinatown that couldn't possibly have been taken as photos, & even Faye Dunaway pops up, in a brief voice-over.
Plenty of things to remind the fans what it's a sequel to, & there are some wonderfully haunting echoes of the past that constantly torments Jake Gittes, but ultimately, The Two Jakes is just a big, disappointing mess. Loads of talent, no direction.
Chinatown's writer & creator, Robert Towne, had originally envisioned a trilogy of J.J. Gittes films chronicling the history of Los Angeles, one set in the 1930's about water, one in the 1940's about oil, & another in the 1950's about the freeway system (apparently to be called 'Cloverleaf', after a type of freeway exit configuration). He, along with Robert Evans & Jack Nicholson, set up a company in the 1980's called TEN (Towne, Evans, Nicholson) to continue the endeavour, & Towne was slated to direct The Two Jakes, but he walked away long before the production actually started. The one reason that's most often cited was his objection to the original casting of producer Robert Evans as Jake Berman. Roman Polanski wasn't available to direct for obvious reasons.
So, much like Jake Gittes' own thoughts, The Two Jakes is largely a collection of "what if?"s. Had Towne still been on board, & had Polanski been available to direct, who knows what might have been?
You can't forget the past any more then you can change it
kapelusznik181 May 2014
Warning: Spoilers
****SPOILERS*** With the original director of the hit movie "Chinatown" Roman Polanski on the lamb in far off Europe as a fugitive from justice it came down to actor Jack Nicholson to pick up the ball and direct it's sequel "The Two Jakes" with him playing one of them private eye Jake Gittes. It's Jake who's involved with the other Jake L.A real-estate developer Julius "Jake" Berman, Harvey Keitel, who feels that his old lady Kitty, Meg Tilly, is cheating on him. As it later turns out Kitty is in fact cheating on Jake with his real-estate partner Mark Bodine,John Hackett, who's gunned down by what seems like , were never really sure, Jake Berman himself. That's when Mark is found with his pants down as well as wig off at the Bird of Paradise hotel in downtown L.A.
The film then gets to what exactly Jake, that's Berman, really had going at his housing development that was frequently rocked with tremors and earthquakes making it almost impossible for anyone to live there. It takes a while but were soon to find out that there's a major oil field, 22 by 46 miles, underneath the housing development that a number of people including top L.A hood Michael "Mickey Nice" Weisskopf, Ruben Blades, and millionaire financier Earl Raway, Richard Farnsworth, are itching to get their hands on.
***SPOILERS*** What's the biggest surprise in the film is Jake's, that Jake Berman, wife Kitty who as it turns out is not whom he as well as Jake, that Jake Gittes, and us in the audience think that she is. This is soon discovered, Kitty's real identity by Jake, that Gittes, himself after an exhausting search for the truth in Mark Bodine's murder that Jake, that's Jake Berman, is accused of. It turns out that Kitty did indeed knew Jake, that Gittes, some ten years ago in the movie "Chinatown" that messed up his mind ever since. At the end of the film Jake, that's Berman again, is no longer worried what's to happen to him in that he cleared or tied up all the loose ends in both his and Kitty's life. With nothing to do and nowhere for him to go Jake, That's Jake Berman, just lights up a cigarette and blows himself to smatterings in his gas, natural gas, filled condominium. At the time he had no fear of death in that he was dying, from radiation poisoning, already.
The film then gets to what exactly Jake, that's Berman, really had going at his housing development that was frequently rocked with tremors and earthquakes making it almost impossible for anyone to live there. It takes a while but were soon to find out that there's a major oil field, 22 by 46 miles, underneath the housing development that a number of people including top L.A hood Michael "Mickey Nice" Weisskopf, Ruben Blades, and millionaire financier Earl Raway, Richard Farnsworth, are itching to get their hands on.
***SPOILERS*** What's the biggest surprise in the film is Jake's, that Jake Berman, wife Kitty who as it turns out is not whom he as well as Jake, that Jake Gittes, and us in the audience think that she is. This is soon discovered, Kitty's real identity by Jake, that Gittes, himself after an exhausting search for the truth in Mark Bodine's murder that Jake, that's Jake Berman, is accused of. It turns out that Kitty did indeed knew Jake, that Gittes, some ten years ago in the movie "Chinatown" that messed up his mind ever since. At the end of the film Jake, that's Berman again, is no longer worried what's to happen to him in that he cleared or tied up all the loose ends in both his and Kitty's life. With nothing to do and nowhere for him to go Jake, That's Jake Berman, just lights up a cigarette and blows himself to smatterings in his gas, natural gas, filled condominium. At the time he had no fear of death in that he was dying, from radiation poisoning, already.
Tells a Good story about the Valley
trickrider1 September 2003
I currently live in the place that the plot of this movie centers around. The post war San Fernando Valley(yes, that Valley where the Valley Girl phenomenon originated) that exploded with development after WWII. Before the war the valley was largely orange and walnut groves and before the big boom, the government built many Defense plants here to build and develop most of it's planes. To accommodate the many employees of these plants, housing developers moved in and there were many power grabs of which these 2 movies revolve around. After the infusion of the water that was brought in via the Mullholland Dam Project (part of the plot of Chinatown) the population of the Valley grew in leaps and bounds! What was a pleasant drive in the "country" as Los Angeleans referred to the SFV as, before the late 40's, became the largest housing boom the country has ever seen before or since! Currently there are at least 3 million people living here(many undocumented immigrants live here uncounted). Anyone who owned land became wealthy including the late Bob Hope who owned vast amounts of Valley acreage! Many of the farmers from back then ( like Van Owen and Van nuys) sold thier land and became very rich. I think that the John Huston character from Chinatown was based on one of the Van characters. They even named major avenues in the Valley after Van Nuys and Van Owen. I think that the actual filming of the movie was shot north of the San Fernando Valley because it is all developed now. I am too young to remember the era of this movie but i can appreciate since I live in LA and can see many of the buildings seen in the Hollywood and downtown scenes that still stand and look just like they did then! I loved this movie for the many ways it captured the era. One scene where Jake is driving you can hear on the radio the serial "The Whistler", which is still played among others on the Oldtime Radio Hour, on a local AM station 1070. True, this town isn't as old or historical as a Boston or New York or Philadelphia, but it has had it's moments and it's moods are reflected well in this movie. If you don't at first understand the plot, maybe it isn't as complex as it may seem. It's about a part of our country that exploded with growth and opportunities perhaps like none other and of course there will be visionary people trying to capitalize on that and make a fortune.
much-neglected masterpiece
eggletonrod10 August 2014
anyone who rightly believes "Chinatown" to be a peak of 70s cinema, should give this more than a chance. just read the "quotes" and you will see the quality of the screenplay, without even context. yes, there's no Faye dunaway, but meg Tilly does a very cool turn as the femme fatale. shes a keeper. otherwise a great ensemble cast, with jack of course well in the lead, but again the supporting cast are given character realisation and lines far more meaningful than usual. who could forget "forget it, Jake, its Chinatown"? Then wait for the last lines in this film.
this film is a maligned classic, and anyone who ever had a regret will find tears welling up at the end,if not before.
this film is a maligned classic, and anyone who ever had a regret will find tears welling up at the end,if not before.
The Two Jakes Review
pedroborges-9088112 January 2021
The Cinematography evokes some of the original film, but the story is very weak.
It's a cool trivia that Jack Nicholson and Al Pacino returned to one of their most famous roles 16 years later, both films from the same studio and both co starred by Eli Wallach.
It's a cool trivia that Jack Nicholson and Al Pacino returned to one of their most famous roles 16 years later, both films from the same studio and both co starred by Eli Wallach.
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