The Two Jakes

Good, not great. The script siubtelties ignored. Rpobert Townes script deserved the elegant framing , lighting and invisible pacing of Polanski's Chinatown, made 4 yrs after Polanski"s pregnant wife and their friends were bruatally and famously murdered in his LA home and his young man"s mistakes prevented his return to LA to direct, etc. Jack Nicolson bravely sits in the director's seat for an impossible yet highly anticipated sequel. Hollywood history says this character, Jake Gittes is in a trilogy by Robert Towne. Nicholson went from unemployment checks to his many and great roles after Chinatown. He took the reins to direct when no one else woiuld touch it.

…it isn't. Chinatown is one of the best movies ever made. Two Jakes is not very interesting. it's Chinatown, Jake.

It's been a long time since this movie came out, so people tend to forget the tremendous expectations Jack Nicholson and the other Chinatown creators had for it. It was intended to be part of a Chinatown trilogy, which was really supposed to cover the underground history of Los Angeles. Part 1 (Chinatown) was water, part 2 (this movie) was oil and part three was real estae (already introduced here). Add to this the fact that the movie never would have been made except that Nicholson wanted to make it so badly he finally agreed to direct it, and you have to conclude it's a piece of movie making history. Plus, with Nicholson practically retired from making movies these days, this and other Nicholson movie only become more interesting.

If you love period film noir, and mysteries where the answer isn't spoon fed to you, then you will love The Two Jakes. People bag on it because it is complicated, but I like a movie that requires your full attention. Others complain that it isn't as good as China Town which is true, but almost no films are that good. The Two Jakes is still a great film, with awesome actors, telling an engaging, albeit, complicated story. Just pay close attention and you will enjoy it.