The Two Faces of January - A Movie Review

You have to be careful who you do business with.

The Two Faces of January traveled into theaters in 2014. Taking place in 1962 Athens, Greece, a young tour guide finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Rydal has to help a criminal and his wife escape Greece.

Mistery-thrillers offer on-edge stories. The Two Faces of January is an entertaining and suspenseful film. Character direction is a high focus. One complaint that I had after watching was that it copied the direction of an Alfred Hitchcock film.

Starring Viggo Mortenson, Kirsten Dunst, and Oscar Isaac, the trio did a fantastic job in all of their interactions. How these characters feel about one another in the main theme. Each character is put to the test.

I’ve never seen Oscar Issac in another film until viewing him here. Isaac was great to watch. His character action was confusing though. Rydal didn’t have much of a reason to stick around. We don’t know a lot about his background. Aside from one crucial detail about his family, his connection to the strangers is significant.

I liked the way Mortenson played his character. Realizing that he doesn’t have all the power in the world, he faces vulnerability. Mortenson and Isaac achieved incredible ranges in their interactions.

To me, it felt like writers were a little stuck with what to do with Colette (Dunst). Due to being a woman, she doesn’t have much control over the situation. She is also unsure of whose side to take. There should have been a better outcome for her character. Not much impacts the story or the characters with the conclusion she is given.

On a trip, you run into an assortment of different characters. Even the ensemble tested the trio and how they should behave. One notable scene took place on a bus. The ensemble enjoyed their time working on this film since they got a chance to sightsee around Greece.

The Two Faces of January is a mystery-thriller. Even you are not sure of who to trust. While the film was enticing and keeps you on your feet, it copied the layout of an Alfred Hitchcock film. The soundtrack was a complete ripoff! I would have selected a more original soundtrack because it distracted me from the main storyline.

Editing for the film was spectacular. I like how the film intercepted between a suspenseful moment, cutting to another character making their way to a crucial scene. Character reactions are the most important element of all to capture.

In his directorial debut, Hossein Amini found the best locations in Greece to film in. He studied the interactions between the characters very well. You never know who you can trust.

The story was predictable and some plot elements were forgotten by the end. It became repetitive with too many scenes involving the couple wondering if they can trust this guy. That aside, Amini conquered a lot in his reins as a director.

The clothing also had a significant priority. Pay attention to how Mortenson’s clothes evolve throughout the story, growing dirtier and easy to rip. Despite taking place in 1962, the film still felt modern to me.

The Two Faces of January had a sufficient premise but it was not used to its full advantage. By the climax, the story fell flat. The ending was a bit rushed. Aside from those flaws, it is a gripping mystery film.

Fans of the mystery genre should take a look at this film. I recommend that you find The Two Faces of January and watch it.