A Chave do Enigma

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.

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.

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 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.

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