Review of The Two Faces of January (2014) by Carla H — 27 Sep 2014

The icy, sexy suspense of a Hitchcock thriller is on delicious display in The Two Faces of January. Screenwriter Hossein Amini (Drive), in a terrific and potent directing debut, explores the psychological depths of the 1964 novel by Patricia Highsmith (The Talented Mr. Ripley, Ripley's Game), who was highly favored by Hitch (see Strangers On a Train).

While vacationing in Greece, wealthy American Chester (Viggo Mortensen) and his wife Colette (Kirsten Dunst) come across Rydal (Oscar Isaac), a tour guide with a penchant for conning tourists. As is typical with Highsmith, nothing is what it seems. Rydal has the hots for Colette while Chester reminds him of his father and harbors secrets that lead to murder.

Amini deals with the mythological subtext of the film with unerring skill. You won't be able to resist. Dunst is especially excellent, uncovering hidden layers in Colette while Mortensen and Isaac trade verbal barbs and sparks. They're all outstanding. The Two Faces of January may be a bit old-fashioned for the Transformers crowd, but who cares when filmmaking is this suspenseful an thrilling.