In post-war Los Angeles, a private detective working on what appears to be a routine adultery case, uncovers corruption within the quickly growing local oil industry, with revelations about his own tragic past.
Robert Towne, the screenwriter of the classic Chinatown had planned two more stories featuring its lead character J.J. Gittes, played by Jack Nicholson. The pair, along with original producer Robert Evans, began pre-production in 1985, but in-fighting resulted in Nicholson the only remaining partner, taking over the directorial reins from Towne.
A high-profile cast includes actors from the original film (Nicholson, James Hong, Perry Lopez), as well as Harvey Keitel, Eli Wallach, Madeline Stowe, Meg Tilly, Frederic Forrest, Richard Farnsworth, and Rubén Blades. Legendary cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond joined Nicholson behind the camera, with a musical score contributed by Van Dyke Parks.
Nicholson makes no attempt to mimic the style of Chinatown's director Roman Polanski, instead opting for more camera movement and odd frame composition, at times reminiscent of the work of Martin Scorsese, Orson Welles, and others. Unlike the previous installment, a wry and at times melancholy narration by Gittes runs throughout the film in classic Raymond Chandler fashion.
The Two Jakes opened to good but not enthusiastic reviews and failed to connect with audiences. Ironically, a third part of the Godfather saga also opened the same year and was a major contender for year-end awards, despite many feeling it was an unnecessary revival.
The film's lack of success essentially ended the plans for a third Gittes film, which was to be set in the mid 1960's, with various rumors as to its underlying thematic and story elements popping up in articles over the years.
Running time is approx 2 hrs, 10 min.
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