Review of The Two Faces of January (2014) by Syl W — 29 Jun 2014

Said to be similar to Alfred Hitchcock's films and featuring a powerful trio of lead actors, The Two Faces of January sounded like it was worth a viewing.

I can understand why some people would compare The Two Faces of January to an Alfred Hitchcock work. The visual style is a lot different, but the general way that the characters become involved with each other in twists of criminal activity is very interesting. The Two Faces of January is one of those thrillers where not all that much happens, but when it does happen the events are complicated and end up having a big effect on the characters and on their lives. The fact is that The Two Faces of January feels like an old style thriller movie because everything moves along at a rather slow pace, perhaps too slow for many viewers. Yet viewers who have the patience to understand the complicated nature of the story and the way that it builds tension through authentic acting and a natural atmosphere in a simple story should find themselves pleased with The Two Faces of January because it is a good film.

It is not a perfect film, however. Like I said, the plot of the film is slow and does not have too much happening which means that it requires the viewer to really think about what virtues it has to offer and about how deeply things in the movie end up affecting the characters and what impact they may have on the future. This means that the viewer really has to focus and think, and if the slow pace of the film fails to entertain them in the process then it may not be the most interesting experience.

On a side note, my opinion of the film increased upon a second viewing of the film because I was able to pick up on a lot of subtle story elements that I could not see the first time, as well as some symbolism and the fact that when it comes down to it, the film is really a neo-noir. As the genre of neo-noir is not one that is seen much these days, I enjoyed realizing that it was a contribution to cinema in the form of one.

And a lot of the time the atmosphere doesn't really feel all that affecting. For about the first half of the film, there is only one thrilling scene and not that much of an atmosphere to match it afterwards. Things don't exactly feel threatening until about halfway through, so The Two Faces of January is a mix between thriller and drama without exactly settling on either of them and therefore may not have enough thrills for viewers with very high expectations.

But the important thing is that I really enjoyed The Two Faces of January. The fact is that the story was simple in how it was just about three characters on a journey involving crime and complicated relationships, but it was complex in the way that you can genuinely feel the kind of pressure they are under as they attempt to evade authorities. It was consistently a well scripted film which maintained the complexities of the source novel well enough while making sure that it transitions to the screen well. The Two Faces of January is full of great dialogue, and so Hossein Amini's Academy Award nominated screenwriting skills are still effective. But more impressively, The Two Faces of January serves as his directional debut which shows off just what kind of skill he can present in that area. He maintains the strength of the novel by bringing along a powerful script, and then he gives it the correct treatment by directing the actors to powerhouse performances. But the best thing he does to make the story feel legitimate is that he gives it some terrific visual elements. The scenery of the film is beautiful, and he actually uses Greece and Istanbul to shoot the scenes from those places. Although the cinematography is rather conventional, it does have a few moments of creativity and manages to capture the sights all very nicely and renders The Two Faces of January a great visual experience. And with a touch of a subtle musical score.

And the performances of the cast in The Two Faces of January manage to carry the entire story very well.

Viggo Mortensen is a great lead in The Two Faces of January. I almost did not recognise him, but he is very memorable for the part because the character he plays is one which audiences are never certain how to feel about. Although he is the main character, he is a criminal. And from the moment in the film that he is revealed as a con artist, it becomes difficult to sympathise for him, although viewers may find themselves doing that anyway. The fact is that he gets the antagonistic nature of the character just right, and plays the part with all the clever manipulation and mystery of one. The tense facial gestures and angry line delivery that he brings to the part makes him embody the character perfectly and reveals him as the perfect antagonist for the story.

Oscar Isaac is also terrific. The man has a natural youthful charm which he brings along to the role and becomes a likable lead, and it also becomes part of the reason viewers are able to sympathise for him. He is a young man dragged into a world of crime against his will, and Oscar Isaac plays the part very well because he keeps things intense at the right moments and consistently makes a compelling effort. Oscar Isaac is able to have intense interactions with both Kirsten Dunst and Viggo Mortensen in The Two Faces of January for separate reasons, and so he makes a powerful leading actor for many reasons.

Kirsten Dunst is also a fine addition to the cast. Although she does not get as much screen time as one may hope, her performance is great. The once popular teenage actress steps up to the mature nature of The Two Faces of January with gusto and delivers her lines with genuine realism. She makes her character strong without playing the damsel in distress archetype yet still maintains the way that she has suffered as a result of her husband's actions. To put it simply, Kirsten Dunst is a genial presence in The Two Faces of January and her performance deals with the material in a mature and talented fashion.

So while The Two Faces of January is a rather slow paced films without too many events in the narrative, the complex subtext in the story and the performances make it a riveting and thrilling film which provides tension without relying on visual elements to do so.