The Two Jakes (1990)

A Disappointing Yet Not Completely Bad

Sequel To Chinatown (1974)

- The natural reaction upon discovering that a sequel to the amazing neo noir classic Chinatown (1974) exists is both to immediately gasp in horror and to be a little bit interested. Since the Roman Polanski-directed, Jack Nicholson-starring Chinatown is one of the finest thrillers ever constructed, the idea of a sequel is unnerving because its unnecessary and sequels are generally not as good as their originals; but because Chinatown is such a great film, the idea of a sequel is also interesting because a sequel could, potentially, be as great as Chinatown. 1990's The Two Jakes is the sequel to Chinatown, reuniting Chinatown screenwriter Robert Towne and starring actor Jack Nicholson, who also directs the film. Set in the late 1940s, Private Investigator J.J. "Jake" Gittes again gets involved with a usual case of infidelity that turns into something far more serious.

When viewing, discussing, judging, or doing anything that revolves around The Two Jakes, the comparison to its successful older brother Chinatown is inevitable. While it makes sense to make some comparisons to Chinatown, this should not be the only action towards The Two Jakes as it should be judged on its own merits. But having said that, The Two Jakes is basically incomparable to Chinatown anyhow because Chinatown is a much better movie right from the word "go": The Two Jakes is only a slightly above average film.

Actually, things start off very well, the story begins with Gittes preparing for a sting with a client  with the plot becoming quite involved quite fast. The first third of the film is shot very well, written very well, acted very well, and the film simply flows very well. Then The Two Jakes slowly develops into a slide show of bland framing and editing and begins to over-pack all sorts of plot-thickeners and "twists" into the film that creates a confusing mess. At a certain point in the film, the viewer does not know where or why or how characters are coming or going - or what is going on at all!

Jack Nicholson's performance of Jake Gittes is one of the few constant bright spots of the film, reviving his sarcastic, no-nonsense private eye character very well. The Jake Gittes in The Two Jakes lacks the same flare as the Gittes in Chinatown but that is understandable; Gittes is older now, a World War II veteran who has traded in his spying gig for a business man's life. However, old habits die hard when Gittes does one more detective job and his emotions get in the way of the case as he tries to keep stride with the enemy. It may not be one of Nicholson's finest hours but he does do a good job, putting a whole lot of strength into the role and bringing out Gittes' feelings of the past that haunts him very well. Unfortunately for Nicholson, he gets no help from his supporting cast whatsoever. Harvey Keitel is weak, Madeleine Stowe is terrible, David Keith is pathetic, and it's difficult to keep even one eye open when Rubén Blades is on screen.

The Two Jakes does have a few other positive points to it though. While much of the film's framing and editing is pretty bland, the entire film is well lit and colored as well - however, not achieving the same film noir effect of Chinatown. Also, amidst the over-convoluted story, Robert Towne manages to squeeze a few lines of good and funny dialogue into the film.

So with Jack Nicholson leading a film with a mostly poorly written story that is mostly well shot, I say that The Two Jakes is not a bad film and is mostly worth one's time. Still, by being a disappointing addition to the fabulous Chinatown, you almost want a third film to finish off the series.... Almost.


CBC Rating: 6/10

The Heiress (1949)

"Yes, I can be very cruel....
I have been taught by masters."

- Eternally blinded by the highly romanticized memory of his late wife, wealthy New York Doctor Austin Sloper (Ralph Richardson) has long lost any hope that his enormously shy daughter, Catherine Sloper (Olivia de Havilland), will ever get married. Then one day, instead of ignoring or ditching her like most men had been doing, a young Morris Townsend (Montgomery Clift) comes calling on Catherine with an immovable eagerness. However, instead of being overcome by joy as his daughter finds true love, Dr. Sloper is skeptical from the start. Since Morris has no money or career to speak of, Dr. Sloper suspects Morris of being interested in Catherine only for the wealth she would gain in the future and is therefore greatly opposed to the whole situation. But Catherine's world gets turned upside-down as things grow far more complicated and revealing when she and Morris decide to tie the knot.

Superbly directed, acted, scored (by American music legend Aaron Copeland), and written (adapted by Augustus and Ruth Goetz from their play and the Henry James novel Washington Square), The Heiress (1949) is a great period character drama. Rightfully winning the Academy Award for Best Actress, Olivia de Havilland gives an unforgettable performance as Catherine Sloper. Overcoming (and probably feeding off of) bad on the set vibes, courtesy of the jealousy and egos of her co-stars, de Havilland brings her quiet, sweet, and a little awkward Catherine Sloper character to life with great poise - changing along with the development of her character.

The only problem with the film as I see things - and an unfortunately significant problem with the film - is Montgomery Clift's performance as Morris Townsend. From opening to close, Clift is not bad enough to make you cringe but he teeters on the border of terrible and average, giving a performance that is as stiff as a stop sign and as weak as a sick kitten. In addition to this, he is not convincing whatsoever in all his "shalt"s, "yearn"s, and his other deliveries of the 19th century dialogue. Suddenly Errol Flynn does not sound so bad after seeing Clift in the role....

Still, Clift can only do so much to hurt the film overall. With its interesting story, great look, and fantastic performance from Olivia de Havilland, The Heiress (1949) is a must see drama.

CBC Rating:  8/10

Double Indemnity (1944)

The Walk Of A Dead Man

"Suddenly it came over me that everything would go wrong. It sounds crazy, Keyes, but it's true, so help me. I couldn't hear my own footsteps. It was the walk of a dead man."

- One of the pioneers of the film noir genre, Double Indemnity (1944) is a contextually fascinating, visually stunning, and cinematically lovable film noir from Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler.

On a seemingly routine job, insurance salesman Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) becomes infatuated with his client's wife Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) and helps her turn her unloving husband into "hard cash" via insurance fraud and a little thing called murder. With his insider know-how, Walter believes that he and his sweetheart can get away with murder and live happily ever after. However, the situation becomes increasingly complicated through a roller coaster of twist and turns as Walter's boss Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson) unravels the plan little by little and Phyllis becomes more and more untrustworthy.

If you are looking for a classic film noir story, look no further than Double Indemnity, where good people get eaten up in the dark underworld of film noir. Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler do a wonderful job adapting James M. Cain's novel to the screen. Along with this interesting and classic Cain-inspired film noir story in Double Indemnity is the fabulous smart, funny, and even shocking dialogue that makes it up. The mark of Philip Marlowe author Raymond Chandler on the film's script is very evident and key to the strong impact that the sharp and witty dialogue has on a scene. Perfect examples of this can be found in many different places throughout the film but some of my favorite pieces of dialogue are Keyes' absolutely hilarious speech about the mathematics of suicide and Walter and Phyllis' flirtatious back-and-forths which are humorous and coy while doing much to add a whiff of danger in the air. My favorite line in the movie can be heard when Walter explains how he could not hear the sound of his own footsteps, it being like the walk of a dead man. The line sends a shiver down my spine every time.

Double Indemnity has a great cast, one of the finest principle casts ever assembled. Known primarily as a comedic actor at the time, Fred MacMurray stars as the doomed lead Walter Neff. A large number of Hollywood heavyweights passed on the role but the out-of-type MacMurray proved to be perfect for the character of Walter Neff; intense and paranoid with an unflappable front of countenance and laid-back sarcasm. Also, while Walter may catch the film noir bug and develop greedy, lustful, murderous thoughts, the character because MacMurray creates a relatively normal, stand-up guy out of the character, enabling the audience to relate.

Barbara Stanwyck is also terrific in her Academy Award-nominated role as Phyllis Dietrichson. While most Hollywood actresses would not touch the toxic role of Phyllis Dietrichson, Stanwyck jumped at the opportunity to play such a strong character and, in doing so, embodied the definitive femme fatale: conniving and adulterous, she gives the lead man the impression that he is in charge and calling the shots when the truth of the matter is that he's being played like a cheap violin to do her dark dirty work. Because of Stanwyck's subtle treachery and undeniable attractiveness, we as the audience, just like Walter, fall for her even though we know that she is no good. We want her to get away with the crime while, at the same time, we want her to bite the dust - and this love/hate relationship that both Walter and the audience has for Stanwyck's Phyllis Dietrichson is one of the film's most powerful elements.

Edward G. Robinson also delivers a mighty fine supporting performance, stealing nearly every scene as the detective-like insurance man Barton Keyes. At the time, Robinson thought himself too big a star for a supporting role like Barton Keyes - having defined the gangster genre with his performance in Little Caesar (1931) and many other gangster films. However, Robinson ended up accepting the role because his career was starting to slump - and thank goodness too because Robinson is an unstoppable force in Double Indemnity (not to mention how the performance re-invented his career). With intelligence and humor, Robinson creates a highly entertaining character in Barton Keyes, delivering a spectacular performance about as fast as a sound carries and wiser than any of his previous wise-guy gangster roles.

Director Billy Wilder could not have assembled the film any better. Instead of revealing the violence, sex, and twisted nature of the film's characters through blatancy, everything is dealt with through a very effective power of suggestion by the acting and/or simple presentation of the scene. As with most great films noir, Double Indemnity is excellently photographed. Very dark but very stylish, nearly every scene includes eye-wrangling shots and remarkable imagery. People may walk up to a sun lit house and a dressed up door way, but they soon find themselves in a dark seedy lair with the light trying its best to squeak into the room every chance it gets.

What a cinematic sight to see! Wilder's screen vision, the flawless cast and unforgettable Raymond Chandler/Wilder script make Double Indemnity a brilliant movie and a quintessential film noir. Unmistakably a timeless classic and a standout within the film noir genre, Double Indemnity is a film that simply cannot be missed.


CBC Rating: 10/10