I’m going to be completely honest here, and possibly ruin my reputation as a film boffin. Until I held the DVD of The Two Jakes in my hands about ten years ago, I didn’t even know there was a sequel to Chinatown. The belated sequel languished in development hell after real life intervened – there was no way that Polanski could direct a sequel to perhaps his most famous film (at least not in Los Angeles, where it was set) and the movie that followed became caught in a tug of war between actor Jack Nicholson and writer Robert Towne, both of whom wanted a shot at directing. Nicholson won, but one can’t help but get the feeling in watching the film that the movie might have been better served with a stronger and more impartial director.
Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: chinatown, film, jacknicholson, Jerry Goldsmith, los angeles, Movies, non-review review, Raymond Chandler, review, Robert Towne, roman polanski, sequel, the two jakes, Van Dyke Parks | Leave a comment »