Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

The Two Jakes Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 8, 2020

The legendary Jack Nicholson stars in, and directs, 1990's The Two Jakes, the sequel to Roman Polanski's 1974 Oscar-winning Chinatown. While the film never really found the same success as its predecessor, it's a quality follow-up that further builds Nicholson's character while sinking its teeth into a juicy story involving infidelity, money, and murder.

Jake Gittes (Nicholson) is a private investigator who specializes in capturing unfaithful spouses in the act of infidelity. His latest client, also named Jake Berman (Harvey Keitel), discovers that his wife Kitty (Meg Tilly) has been cheating on him and he uses the opportunity of learning the truth to gun down his wife’s lover, Mark Bodine, in cold blood. But not only was Bodine the man sleeping with his wife, he was also the man who was partnering with Berman on a lucrative real estate deal. With a tape recording capturing everything -- the affair, the confrontation, the fatal gunshots -- floating around, Gittes soon finds himself in the middle of an ugly deal that only turns worse when Bodine’s widow, Lillian (Madeleine Stowe), shows up at Gettis’ office and complicates matters further with a theory that the killing wasn't for revenge but rather for money. As the specifics come to light, Gitties is charged with both solving the case and proving his own innocence, removing any doubt he was a detached, outside party to the killing and not an accomplice to it.

The film’s fate was in question for years leading to its release, but one wouldn’t necessarily know it without that knowledge going in. Nicholson is in fine form, and with a directing credit, too, he pulls double duty with admirable balance and finesse. The film certainly doesn’t live up to the quality of its predecessor, which was nominated for most all of the most prominent Oscars, but it’s a lively sequel with enough gritty characterization and devilish drama to make a return trip to Gettis’ world worthwhile. The story finds fine balance between sprawling narrative and tight detail, all coming together to craft an absorbing noir-inspired character drama.

Indeed, the film works hard -- but plays with ease -- to craft a story of subtle suggestion within the larger, sweeping plot devices and character comings and goings. Nicholson works from a script penned by Robert Towne, who also wrote Chinatown (in addition to several other notable pictures, including Tequila Sunrise and Mission: Impossible) and certainly benefits from the writer's intimate understanding of Gettis' world, a world which has changed around him even if he has not. Towne and Nicholson introduce a slew of new characters who fit perfectly into the complex workings of the private eye genre. Nicholson takes all of Towne's formulations and crafts a handsome movie of deliberate pace that allows actors to chew scenery while building character and working the angles, all against a quality production that seamlessly takes audiences back to the postwar era.

The Two Jakes Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Two Jakes features a singularly excellent 1080p transfer. A bit of edge enhancement here and there is really the only downside. The picture is otherwise sturdy, reliable, and filmic. A fine grain veneer compliments and holds steady throughout. It's pleasant in density and a constant reminder of the transfer's grace and the picture's film roots. Textures are first-class. The period attire always delights with easily visible fabric complexities on suits, neckties, hats, and other formal wear. Skin details are precise and intricate as seen in the film's intimate close-ups; pores, hairs, and wrinkles are naturally dense and detailed. Environments are crisp throughout the film's varied locations, indoor and outdoor across a fairly wide berth of places. Rich colors abound under crystal clear blue skies. Flowers burst with color, natural greens delights (including at a golf course during a sequence later in the film), and all variety of clothing tones and support hues delight with natural contrast and tonal pop. Black levels are deep and complimentary while skin tones appear accurate. Beyond the edge enhancement there are no troubling processing leftovers. There are no encode flubs, either. This one looks very good in total.

The Two Jakes Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is excellent. The first large cue comes moments in when an earthquake rattles with solid depth and a nice feel of immersion into the location, with all of the clanking and collapsing objects shaking around the listener. Another trembler at the 18-minute mark offers similar sonic goodness. City street din is fully featured, as is lighter office din at the 12-minute mark. Action scenes deliver suitable depth and stage engagement. The track features several well positioned discrete effect but also thrives as it maneuvers sounds along through the listening area with seamless location detail. Music is rich and wide, dominant across the front but finding a pleasing surround support component. Well prioritized dialogue enjoys good natural clarity from a firm front-center location.

The Two Jakes Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of The Two Jakes contains no supplemental content. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

The Two Jakes Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Two Jakes' tepid reception and tame box office figures ultimately resulted in a cancellation for a planned third film in the franchise, a shame considering that Jakes is not at all a poor film. While it remains the last film Nicholson directed, it shows a competent hand at work that captures the stylization and noir tones quite proficiently while crafting an engaging story and building characterization and drama throughout. In a storied career it may not rank as Nicholson's finest work on the other side of the camera, but it sees the actor in fine form nevertheless in a film that has aged better than many believed it would three decades ago. Paramount's Blu-ray is disappointingly featureless but the video and audio presentations are high end. Highly recommended.