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[tab title="Movie Review"]
Infidelity made private investigator and war veteran Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) the man he is today. We know this having seen the excellent Chinatown, but admits as much in the opening line of The Two Jakes, the 1990 Nicholson-directed sequel to that 1974 film, now on blu-ray thanks to Paramount Pictures.
The Two Jakes is an interesting movie, but its history is even more fascinating, thanks to its troubled (and long) production and a revolving cast that, at one time, would have had Nicholson and Dustin Hoffman matching wits as gas leaks lead to fiery explosions tossing Nicholson head over heels into a past full of oranges, bruises, and femme fatales.
In spite of its many cast changes before cameras were set to roll, The Two Jakes still pulls in ahead of its dismal reviews, leaving me to wonder just how many critics had their own bells rang by the same explosion that sent Nicholson flying across the screen as he finds the Mulrays won’t let him go.
The film, upon its original release, was a bit of a financial disappointment which made any idea of there being a third film in the proposed Gittes trilogy of pulp fiction potboilers reduced to mere dust in the eye of famed producer Robert Evans. The response to the film STILL puzzles me to this day and, upon watching Paramount’s bare-bones release of this film, it makes me a bit sad.
The Two Jakes, starring Harvey Keitel, Meg Tilly, Madeleine Stowe, Eli Wallach, Ruben Blades, Frederic Forrest, and David Keith, deserved so much better from audiences and fans alike that it still stings as you witness Nicholson step into the familiar wingtips of Gittes, who walks the grizzled streets of Los Angeles circa 1948. This time, he finds himself at the center of an investigation about his role in a sting operation gone awry, when Julius "Jake" Berman (Keitel) takes matters into his own hands upon the discovery of his wife (Tilly) in bed with his real estate business partner, but that's only the beginning of the hotbed of activity in this noir thriller.
Because, suddenly, Gittes has to prove that he’s not an accomplice to murder while Los Angeles is getting rocked with multiple earthquakes, making even walking to the office and trying to lock something important in the safe there a risky endeavor. But when the widow (Stowe) of the dead business partner makes a move on Gittes, he surrenders body and soul to hear her story of how a wealthy businessman is screwing everyone by drilling UNDER their properties.
Co-starring Richard Farnsworth as Earl Rawley and Faye Dunaway as Evelyn Mulwray, The Two Jakes is not as complicated as its legacy makes it out to be. This is a solid story and its cinematography - smartly orchestrated by Vilmos Zsigmond (The Deer Hunter) - sizzles with neo-noir stylings and confident strides across the concrete jungle.
Written by Chinatown’s original screenwriter Robert Towne, The Two Jakes doesn’t miss a step in whisking us back into the familiar territory of orange orchards, steamy nights in Hollywood, popping pills, and real estate shenanigans. The only thing this film doesn’t have is Roman Polanski behind the camera and John Huston in front of it. But what it does have is lots and lots of land as Gittes reminiscences about being unable to forget the past.
The Two Jakes is now on blu-ray thanks to Paramount.
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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]
Blu-ray Details:
Home Video Distributor: Paramount
Available on Blu-ray - September 15, 2020
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, German, Japanese
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; German: Dolby Digital 2.0; French: Dolby Digital 2.0; Japanese: Dolby Digital 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
Available for the first time on Blu-ray, Oscar winner Jack Nicholson returns as private eye Jake Gittes in this atmospheric Chinatown follow-up. Much has changed since we last saw Jake. The war has come and gone; 1948 Los Angeles teems with optimism and fast bucks. But there's one thing Jake knows hasn't changed: "Nine times out of ten, if you follow the money you will get to the truth." And that's the trail he follows when a routine case of marital hanky panky explodes into a murder that's tied to a grab for oil--and to Jake's own past.
Audio:
With an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, The Two Jakes sizzles on the television screen with warm, vibrant colors that its Southern California setting would indeed approve of. The film looks good, with deep blacks and strong shadows. Lines are defined and colors are bold, giving the land and the orchards a punched-up look. Details in the fibers of Nicholson’s jackets and hats are visible, lines in the face, too.
Video:
The dialogue and Van Dyke Parks score is handled by an expressive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.
Supplements:
Commentary:
- None
Special Features:
Sadly, there are no supplemental items.
Blu-ray Rating:
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[tab title="Film Details"]
MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 137 mins
Director: Jack Nicholson
Writer: Robert Towne
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Harvey Keitel, Meg Tilly
Genre: Drama | Crime
Tagline: They say money makes the world go round. But sex was invented before money.
Memorable Movie Quote: "I had no idea how small time I was until I met you."
Theatrical Distributor: MGM
Official Site: https://www.thehustle.movie/
Release Date: May 10, 2019
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: August 20, 2019.
Synopsis: What I do for a living may not be very reputable... but I am. In this town I'm the leper with the most fingers.
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[tab title="Art"]
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