Tag: Robert Towne

THE TWO JAKES (1990)

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Directed by: Jack Nicholson 
Written By: Robert Towne 
Cinematography: Vilmos Zsigmond 
Editor: Anne Goursaud

Cast: Jack Nicholson, Harvey Keitel, Meg Tilly, Madeline Stowe, Eli Wallach, Ruben Blades, David Keith, James Hong, Frederic Forrest, Richard Farnsworth, Tracey Walter, Joe Mantell, Perry Lopez, Rebecca Broussard, Van Dyke Parks

The sequel to Chinatown finds J.J. “Jake” Gittes investigating adultery and murder, and the money that comes from oil.

When the film was coming out I remember all the advertisements for the movie as a kid and always being impressed by its poster artwork. At the time I had never seen or heard of CHINATOWN the movie, but knew this was a sequel to something and really only interested because Jack Nicholson was in it and this was right after BATMAN and I remember him from the movie THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK. 

This sequel or update of the film classic CHINATOWN tries to continue the look and style.  It even has some returning cast members and characters. While employing some great character actors. So by all rights, the film should be noteworthy. As it has some great shows to fill.

Though it falls short very short that barely stands in the shadow of the previous film. It has a similarly twisty and twisted storyline that ends up being easy to figure out. Not to mention not as devastating. As it doesn’t pull the audience in, as much to care. It stays at arm’s distance. Not that the first film was all that warm and cuddly but it kept you on your toes. Especially when it came to the mystery. Here you just wonder how everything fits. 

This film also lacks any memorable scenes or revelations. It’s pretty mundane as it seems to try too hard. You want it to be better than it actually is. As the material is there it just feels misrepresented.

Madeline Stowe at first seems like she will be a femme fatale and be more important to the overall story. Though after awhile she seems to be here for no real reason other than as pretty dressing and more of a distraction.

The cast seems to be playing more into the mood of the movie. Which is always gloomy rather than characters. This film has no spirit really it stays flat and simple.

The film tries but it comes up as rather dull and just going through the motions. As it never takes a definite direction or offers any real distinctions.

Knowing this film had a full share of behind-the-scenes dramas between screenwriter Robert towns, Producer Robert Evans and star/director Jack Nicholson, Evans was upset after hoping to play the role of the other Jake Played by Harvey Keitel, but not only not being strong enough an actor but getting bad plastic surgery right before filming began. Then Robert towns dropped out of directing and the film was postponed until Nicholson took the reins of the project. As this was supposed to be the second of a trilogy. 

You can see what they were trying to do and attempting before time ran out, but this might have been better off than what could have been. 

Grade: C+

THE RECRUIT (2003)

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Directed By: Roger Donaldson
Written By: Robert Towne, Mitch Glazer & Kurt Wimmer
Cinematography By: Stuart Dryburgh
Editor: David Rosenbloom 

Cast: Al Pacino, Colin Farrell, Ron Lea, Bridget Moynahan, Gabriel Macht

In an era when the country’s first line of defense, intelligence, is more important than ever, this story opens the CIA’s infamous closed doors and gives an insider’s view into the Agency: how trainees are recruited, how they are prepared for the spy game, and what they learn to survive. James Clayton might not have the attitude of a typical recruit, but he is one of the smartest graduating seniors in the country – and he’s just the person that Walter Burke wants in the Agency. James regards the CIA’s mission as an intriguing alternative to an ordinary life, but before he becomes an Ops Officer, James has to survive the Agency’s secret training ground, where green recruits are molded into seasoned veterans. As Burke teaches him the ropes and the rules of the game, James quickly rises through the ranks and falls for Layla, one of his fellow recruits. But just when James starts to question his role and his cat-and-mouse relationship with his mentor… 

The film could have been a good espionage spy film. If it had made any sense. This is one of those films that starts off well then wants to be different than the rest of these types. So that it induces a twist into the plot then another one, Then another one. Soon there are so many double-crosses that you forget who is on whose side. There is no reason to justify any of the double-crosses.

When the film ends it tries to tie everything together in a neat little bow. Hoping you forget all the nonsense that went on before it and just say the plot was all a conspiracy. If the point of all of the confusion was to make the film and characters’ paranoia seem truthful and make the audience question everything then it had achieved what it set out to be. 

Though it is not exciting at all with Basic runoff the mill action sequences. The shameful this is that this movie could have been good. You have a director Roger Donaldson who hasn’t had any luck with Hollywood films (The Getaway) but is actually a skilled director (The Bank Job). 

He shows a great deal of talent with his projects that are independently funded, but here he just makes things look sharp and nice but with no real input. It has the feel of an espionage film and the look. The film just falls short so that you stop caring due to confusion and what ends up not making any sense. 

At first, what is interesting in the film becomes tedious as the movie goes on. Colin Farrell is what I consider his blue period where he made a bunch of Hollywood projects in roles that any actor could have played. He was a struggling actor who was thrust into the limelight and was taking any lead that was offered to him. He has tremendous talent, yet he brings nothing really to the film or role. He is just going through the motions. 

Strangely this film feels outdated watching it now. As it seems to be trying to stay in step with what was cutting edge at the time.

This is especially strange when watching a film meant to be an espionage tale. As usually they are more sharp. Understandably they wanted to fit in with the current trends and technology but in the long run hurt the films future and legacy. Truly making this movie feel all the more disposable.


The shocking thing is that the script was written (And I suspect heavily rewritten) By 3 Highly talented Screenwriters and script doctors. I don’t know what went wrong exactly but other than the clever Kurt Vonnegut references the film is heavily disappointing. 

Al Pacino is clearly having fun as Colin’s Machiavellian mentor who is chewing the scenery left and right with his overacting. Al Pacino has been doing this overacting schtick. So long he has turned it into his own art form. That only he can do. It’s like a one-man show. It used to be just his acting now his hair and all of its different outrageous styles and size are just as distracting. I respect him he is still a good actor who shows the talent we all know he has once in a while.

I guess as he gets older if he knows the project is beneath him or is just really a paycheck. He doesn’t really bother giving it his all he just has fun with it. It just seems like he is damaging his brand, His career is legendary and once you could always give a movie the benefit of the doubt if the film was bad you could rely on his performance being good. Now it is all a wild card. 

 Skip it 

 GRADE: D