Plot
A thriller centered on a con artist, his wife, and a stranger who flee Athens after one of them is caught up in the death of a private detective.
Release Year: 2014
Rating: 6.4/10 (6,078 voted)
Critic's Score: 67/100
Director: Hossein Amini
Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst, Oscar Isaac
Storyline
1962. A glamorous American couple, the charismatic Chester MacFarland (Mortensen) and his alluring younger wife Colette (Dunst), arrive in Athens by boat via the Corinth Canal. While sightseeing at the Acropolis they encounter Rydal (Isaac), a young, Greek-speaking American who is working as a tour guide, scamming tourists on the side. Drawn to Colette's beauty and impressed by Chester's wealth and sophistication, Rydal gladly accepts their invitation to dinner. However, all is not as it seems with the MacFarlands and Chester's affable exterior hides darker secrets. When Rydal visits the couple at their exclusive hotel, Chester presses him to help move the body of a seemingly unconscious man who he claims attacked him. In the moment, Rydal agrees but as events take a more sinister turn he finds himself compromised and unable to pull himself free. His increasing infatuation with the vulnerable and responsive Colette gives rise to Chester's jealousy and paranoia, leading to a tense and ...
Writers: Hossein Amini, Patricia Highsmith
Cast: Viggo Mortensen -
Chester MacFarland
Kirsten Dunst -
Colette MacFarland
Oscar Isaac -
Rydal
Daisy Bevan -
Lauren
David Warshofsky -
Paul Vittorio
Prometheus Aleifer -
Young Musician
Nikos Mavrakis -
Greek Young Man On Boat
Yigit Özsener -
Yahya
Ozan Tas -
Hotelier
James Sobol Kelly -
FBI Agent
Evgenia Dimitropoulou -
Airline Agent
Socrates Alafouzos -
Customs Hall Policeman
Omiros Poulakis -
Nikos
Özcan Özdemir -
Turkish Police #1
Okan Avci -
Turkish Plain Clothes Man
Trivia:
The month of January is named after Janus, the Roman god of transitions, beginnings, gates, doors, doorways, passages and endings, and as such is usually portrayed with two faces, one looking to the future and the other to the past. See more »
Goofs:
After Colette flees the bus, and Chester chases after her, he only takes the brown suitcase with him. Moments later, he carries both the brown and white suitcases. See more »
Quotes:
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User Review
Author:
Rating: 8/10
The Two Faces of January is a gripping and highly watchable film which
I would highly recommend. Set in the sixties, it is undeniably "old
school" – a twisted tale of murder, treachery and double-dealing, based
on the novel by Patricia Highsmith, where you half expect Alfred
Hitchcock to appear in cameo at some point.
Viggo Mortensen (Lord of the Rings) and Kirsten Dunst (Spiderman) play
Chester and Colette Macfarland a rich and affluent couple touring the
sites and sounds of Europe, with us first catching up with them in a
glorious looking Athens.
Appearing to be relaxed and happy together, they hide a dark secret
that is about to catch up with them. Oscar Isaac – so fabulous in
Finding Llewyn Davis earlier this year, and about to hit mega-stardom
in the Star Wars reboot – plays American rogue Rydal, who seems to
stare intently at Chester. Is he part of the impending storm, or just
an innocent caught up in events he can't control? Tensions rise, not
just because of the plot pressures but also because of the obvious
sexual tension growing between the charismatic Rydal and Chester's
lovely and much younger wife.
The compelling story – albeit somewhat predictable in places – takes in
some fabulously atmospheric locations in Athens, Crete and Istanbul.
This is the feature directorial debut of Iranian-born Hossein Amini,
who also wrote the screenplay – this being his forte have written a
range of films including Drive and Snow White and the Huntsman. And
what a good job he does, orchestrating location, lighting and music to
great effect. Some of the editing is also very tight, cutting away from
scenes at crucial points to maintain the story's mystery.
The trio of actors also bring great star power to their roles.
Mortensen and Dunst are very watchable, but it is Isaac that again
really shines in his role. In turns enchanting, brooding and cowed like
a cornered animal, he plays the perfect James Stewart character in this
Hitchcockian homage.
In the coming blitzkrieg of summer blockbusters, here is a jewel of a
film that will be particularly enjoyed by older viewers who remember
when story and location were put far ahead of CGI-based special
effects.
(If you found this review helpful, please see my other reviews and
'Follow the Fad' at bobmann447.wordpress.com. Thanks.).
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