I watched this movie yesterday!! I read an article in an internet Greek page about this film two years ago when the production was in Greece. Many of the scenes were filmed in Athens and Crete and that was a good reason for me to watch this movie! It's based on the novel of the same name by the famous writer Patricia Highsmith. Her most recognisable novel was “The Talented Mr. Ripley” which was a successful adaptation to the silver screen!! “Two Faces of January” is a psychological thriller too.

The director of the movie is Hossein Amini. “Two Faces of January” was his first attempt behind the camera and it seemed so because his direction was so naive. He certainly wrote the scenario of the movies. He was responsible for the commercial success of “Snow White and The Huntsman” and the artistic success of “Drive”. He also wrote the war drama 'The 4 Feathers”, the unacceptable “Killshot” and the commercially disappointing “Ronin 47”. So, his writing tends to be so hit or miss. Viggo Mortensen is the leading actor who is always decent and Kirsten Dunst who is likeable in this movie. However, I felt that she was boring based on her attitude in this movie. Maybe the high temperature of Greece had a bad effect on her..:P Oscar Isaac is the only supporting actor in the movie. He was amazing in “Inside Llewyn Davis” last year but he was also good in “Two Faces of January”. The cinematography was an eye catcher. The seduced shots of Greece were dominated in many scenes of the movie. However, the movie was quite slow at the beginning and the suspect of the crime was revealed very quickly. There wasn't tension, suspence and mystery in this movie like there was in Hitchcock's films. The latter also adapted the first novel of Patricia Highsmith “Strangers on a train (1951)” in the cinema. It wasn't the fault of the director, but the story. Nevertheless the director could use some cinematographic tricks. For example, Hitchcock always used commanding music in his movie. That always brings a scary atmosphere to the viewers but “Two Face of January” had a completely lack of music. Someone from the production screw could have suggested this.

Surely, it isn't the worst film of the year but it was the most nerveless movie so far! It could be a nice proposal/suggestion for an outdoor cinema but nothing more.The sublime of “Acropolis” was the most deserved thing about this movie. If you didn't know the basic suspect of the crime, it would be an interesting movie.The fact that it isn't a blockbuster and the production knew it that it would never be a commercial movie, it could impress the critics and the viewers of the international film festivals (an artistic success). But it never happened because it's the definition of mediocrity.

 

Edited July 7, 201411 yr by Insomnio

I saw this a month or so ago and I really enjoyed it, having thought I wouldn't beforehand. I disagree about there being a lack of tension (or music, I'm sure there was film noir-esque music throughout?!) and I liked the changing dynamic between the three central characters as the film progressed. Also, I liked that the film/story made the viewer (or me anyway) question the integrity of the supposed 'good guy' and indeed question whether there was even a supportable character in the film. And yeah, the cinematography and settings were beautiful as you say, which helped a lot.

Edited July 7, 201411 yr by Noahspike

I'm glad that I'm not the only one in Buzzjack who watched this movie. I think that it had lack of tension in comparison to Hitchcock's movies. The music is not memorable too. I believe that these kinds of films needs to have a characteristic soundtrack. It's not a bad movie but I felt that there is something missing when I left from the cinema.