The Two Jakes (1990)

Wow! Such a good movie.

A Masterpiece!

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

I've seen this one before, but hardly remembered a thing of it when watching it again last night - not a good sign, I suppose. This is the only one of three films that I saw that were directed by Jack Nicholson himself, and I really wonder how much help he got. Some cinematography is dazzlingly beautiful, but did he really - for instance - find that exact location (the one with the wooden poles) at the Californian coastline where Rawley and Gittes have their conversation by himself? Maybe that's not what directing is all about, and I'm a bit of a laymen in that respect, but isn't directing also about keeping an eye on the development of the story and coaching your actors? The story is not uninteresting, but it's a somewhat uninspired carbon-copy of its predecessor with rather mediocre acting, and, I guessed straight away that the 'mystery lady' was indeed Miss Mulwray... And that soundtrack could have been toned a bit, couldn't it?Then, there are some really odd scenes, seemingly thrown in for the 'good measure' of simply trying something different, like the sex scene with Stowe and the 'suck my gun' scene with Keith. They cóuld have worked, but they felt (way) out of tune here.I can't say that 'The two Jakes' is a bad film, it is much too easy on the eyes and the story and acting are entertaining enough, but - unsurprisingly - it has almost none of the magic of its predecessor 'Chinatown'. The cinematography is pretty much impeccable, the story was worked out pretty well and the overall atmosphere was more than doable, but that's about it. By the way, did anyone notice Jack rambling on an on (he could talk the balls off a...) while that one tune set in, that same tune that the Coen brothers used in the film noir parody 'The big Lebowski'? Another fun bit was when Jake broke into a house when an old-time commercial was on. I hope it was an original, but I really don't know.Well entertaining, for sure, but also quite bleak compared to the original. 6 to 7 out of 10.

Sure it's not Chinatown, but the atmosphere, sets, costumes and iconic actors carried this film and left me longing for the third part of the trilogy. Quick while Nicholson is still breathing! Some had the opinion that it was too long, but the longer I could stay in that world, the better. Even Meg Tilly, sounding as if she had the worst sinus infection on record, brought an excellent performance to the table. It's too bad that it was a sequel and a sequel to what has become a late twentieth century classic film. I've found that it's the same with going to see any film - you have to keep your expectations under control. Many of the reviewers were expecting to see a second classic in this sequel, but I don't think they realize how rare it is, in spite of the effort and talent associated with the making of a film, for it to all come together into something like Chinatown. So, here's to the films that aren't so great, because they make the great films well..great.

OK, this isn't Chinatown, but it still stars Jack Nicholson, and he is still the most interesting private eye I know.The characters supporting him were also interesting. Harvey Keitel (Bugsy, From Dusk Till Dawn, Bad Lieutenant), Meg Tilly (Agnes of God, Psycho II), Madeleine Stowe (The General's Daughter, Twelve Monkeys), Eli Wallach (Baby Doll), David Keith (An Officer and a Gentleman), and Rubén Blades (Once Upon a Time in Mexico).Just like the first film, the obvious is not the story. As Jake keeps digging, he finds what is really going on.Good period piece with some fine acting and a super selection of songs to accompany the action.

It comes as no surprise to learn that this follow-up to Chinatown was ravaged by all manner of funding and directorial crises. It appears to be a film that is limping, carried to it's conclusion on the shoulders of one or two people. Nicholson is one of these St Christophers of the big screen but he needs more help than this. The film's story is extremely difficult to follow, an unmodulated trickle of obfuscated cause and effect and voice-over. Because Nicholson is directing there's none of the objectivity that gives a rocking tension between episodes and characters - we feel further isolated from the story, entirely dependent on a single perspective. The acting is reasonable but doesn't really make much of an impact: Keitel as the other Jake and Meg Tilly as his wife are the choicest. This film's greatest triumph is in demonstrating just what a good film Chinatown really is. 3/10