Jack Nicholson in directing this picture has taken some of the drive and pace away from the tempo created by the landmark "Chinatown" of 1974.But it's precisely this moodiness and subtlety that make this film an enduring classic . Intitially disregarded , and occasionally outrightly panned when so-called critics set out to compare to it's predecessor , time will undoubtably ferment this movie like a fine wine and bring it the praise it richly deserves . Many of the original cast members do appear in this long delayed sequel , but the haunting spectre of the ghosts of the past ,notably Faye Dunaway's ethereal Evelyn Mulwray and her daughter Katherine, linger in the shadows of the lavishly nostalgic settings of post-war Los Angeles . The dialogue is quick witted and underplayed and Nicholson's " Jake Gittes" voice-over sequences are poignant and clever . The Two Jakes does have a slightly different " feel " to it than Chinatown , and the plot is seemingly lacking at first glance , but as you undo the various webs being weaved throughout the film , you realize that a whole era has been capsulated here and comes across to the careful viewer to deliver a sense of place unlike any other movie of it's time . In a way , this film will , I believe , go the way of another favourite of mine , Blade Runner , and achieve a stature of greatness for its sheer vision and artistry . mjc
Review of The Two Jakes
