There is a lot of talent in front of and behind the camera for thriller The Two Faces of January. First up, it is based on the novel of the same name by renowned thriller author Patricia Highsmith, responsible for, amongst many others, Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley. It also marks the directorial debut of Drive scribe Hossein Amini (again on scripting duties), and has trio of talented lead actors in the form of Viggo Mortenson, Kirsten Dunst, and Oscar Isaac. Unfortunately, this amount of talent can't stop the movie from ultimately falling flat.
It's 1964, and wealthy American couple Chester (Mortenson) and Colette McFarland (Dunst) are holidaying in Greece where they meet Rydal (Isaac), a supposed tour guide who uses this as a front to scam gullible tourists. When Chester's dirty dealings catch up with him, he is forced on the run with Colette, Rydal unwillingly brought along for the ride. From there, tensions mount amongst the three and threaten to tear them apart.
There is a classic feel to The Two Faces of January, with the way the movie is shot, and especially the score, evoking the style of old film noir. The cinematography is actually a high point, each shot capturing the beauty of the Mediterranean countryside. On the whole, it is certainly a classy affair, oozing sophisticated style from every frame, but once the main story kicks in, things veer dangerously close to the cliched and predictable. There is fantastic efficiency in its set up, getting the audience on the same page with a minimum of fuss, but that efficiency soon gives way to a meandering plot that, for such a simple story, comes across more complicated than it actually is. It clearly wants to be a thriller in the mould of Hitchcock, but you never really get any sense of suspense as the story progresses. The story is just sort of there, holding no real surprises, and, by the third act, it becomes so overburdened with cliches that getting to the end credits becomes a chore.
The cats play off each other extremely well, with Mortenson dominating proceedings as the over bearing Chester. He is given the lions share of character development, devolving from a charming alpha male to a conniving wretch who would jump at his own shadow, and convinces at every turn. His co-stars, sadly, aren't given much to do, with Dunst's role especially under written. She's only there to act as a wedge between Chester and Rydal, but even then we are never really convinced of the power she has over these two men. Isaac fares slightly better, especially in the early scenes, but you soon get the feeling his character is only going through the motions, playing second fiddle to more developed Chester.
A fine directorial debut from Hossein Amini, one that shows some promise for the future, The Two Faces of January is let down by a severe lack of tension, a plodding story, and underdeveloped characters.
It's 1964, and wealthy American couple Chester (Mortenson) and Colette McFarland (Dunst) are holidaying in Greece where they meet Rydal (Isaac), a supposed tour guide who uses this as a front to scam gullible tourists. When Chester's dirty dealings catch up with him, he is forced on the run with Colette, Rydal unwillingly brought along for the ride. From there, tensions mount amongst the three and threaten to tear them apart.
There is a classic feel to The Two Faces of January, with the way the movie is shot, and especially the score, evoking the style of old film noir. The cinematography is actually a high point, each shot capturing the beauty of the Mediterranean countryside. On the whole, it is certainly a classy affair, oozing sophisticated style from every frame, but once the main story kicks in, things veer dangerously close to the cliched and predictable. There is fantastic efficiency in its set up, getting the audience on the same page with a minimum of fuss, but that efficiency soon gives way to a meandering plot that, for such a simple story, comes across more complicated than it actually is. It clearly wants to be a thriller in the mould of Hitchcock, but you never really get any sense of suspense as the story progresses. The story is just sort of there, holding no real surprises, and, by the third act, it becomes so overburdened with cliches that getting to the end credits becomes a chore.
The cats play off each other extremely well, with Mortenson dominating proceedings as the over bearing Chester. He is given the lions share of character development, devolving from a charming alpha male to a conniving wretch who would jump at his own shadow, and convinces at every turn. His co-stars, sadly, aren't given much to do, with Dunst's role especially under written. She's only there to act as a wedge between Chester and Rydal, but even then we are never really convinced of the power she has over these two men. Isaac fares slightly better, especially in the early scenes, but you soon get the feeling his character is only going through the motions, playing second fiddle to more developed Chester.
A fine directorial debut from Hossein Amini, one that shows some promise for the future, The Two Faces of January is let down by a severe lack of tension, a plodding story, and underdeveloped characters.
