The Two Faces of January

Plot synopsis:
Chester MacFarland is an alcoholic con artist traveling in Greece with his young wife, Colette. McFarland is wanted by the police back in the U.S. for running a Ponzi scheme. In Athens, a Greek policeman questions McFarland, who accidentally kills him during a struggle in his hotel room. A recent acquaintance, a young American law graduate and poet named Rydal Keener, decides to help them, in part because McFarland reminds him of his recently deceased father, from whom he was estranged. He helps McFarland and Colette hide the body and leave Athens under false passports procured by his friend Niko, a small-time hoodlum.
Bound together for the foreseeable future, the trio take a flight to Crete and install themselves there in a hotel under assumed names. Colette, who seems to have a record of infidelity, flirts with a smitten Keener in front of McFarland, whose jealousy eventually gets the better of him. On a rainy morning, while they visit the palace of Knossos, MacFarland tries to kill Keener by throwing a pithos at him from above, but accidentally kills Colette instead. Both MacFarland and Keener separately flee the scene of the crime undetected and take the same boat back to Athens, now more dependent on each other than ever.
Back in Athens, MacFarland is interviewed by the police, and states that Keener murdered Colette. At the same time, he hires a contract killer to get rid of Keener once and for all. He is unaware that the "hitman", whom he pays in advance, is in fact a florist whom Keener paid to set him up. Keener goes into hiding from the police, while MacFarland procures another false passport and books a flight to Paris.
In Paris, MacFarland learns from his accomplices in the Ponzi scheme that his enterprises there are no longer lucrative and that the U.S. authorities may be looking for him. Nevertheless, he believes that going back to the States and starting afresh under a new name is the only option left to him. Keener, who McFarland had assumed was dead, suddenly reappears and blackmails him. Unbeknownst to McFarland, Keener is in fact working with the police to get him to confess to Colette's murder. Leaving behind all his possessions except his cash stuffed into his pockets, McFarland travels by taxi to Lyon and then on to Marseille, where he intends to get a boat or a plane to America. While waiting for the boat, however, he gets drunk in a bar and is mugged, robbed of everything except his overcoat. In his stupor, he is arrested and identified by the French police.
While in police custody, MacFarland gets hold of a guard's pistol, fires at him, and is shot in turn. As he dies, he takes responsibility for Colette's death, exonerating Keener. After the police clear Keener of any wrongdoing, he promises to go to McFarland's funeral service out of gratitude.

Tags: murder

Review:
"The Two Faces Of January" takes us mostly to the 1960's Greece, with three main characters in focus.Beautifully shot, this visually stunning period-piece (if I can call it that) relies on story and characters rather than trying to impress with extravagant plot twists and special effects.
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.
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.
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.
The period feel is beautifully communicated and the plot needs to work itself out in a world where places like Athens, Crete and Istanbul were not just exotic but isolated, where holidaying Americans would still be surprised and interested to meet other Americans, and people on the run could hope to hide away.
Oscar Isaac must now be on the verge of the A-list after following Llewyn Davis with his excellent turn here, and Kirsten Dunst steps out of the shadow of teen movies and blockbuster love interest with a beguiling performance in the role of Colette.
So chances were quite good that the production qualities would be somewhat uncertain, even being based on Patricia Highsmith's novel, the same author of "The Talented Mr. Ripley" (1999), amazingly adapted by Anthony Minghella and one of the finest movies of his career.After Minghella's adaptation, which was praised by everyone for its outstanding visual and technical qualities, and his skills to develop the story as a captivating and progressive dramatic thriller, also including a character that does not exist in the book that instead of negatively change the course of the story only increased the hitchcockian tone he gave to the plot, Hollywood didn't produced anything like that since then.
But unfortunately the robustness presented loses strength when the story achieves a shallow plateau that forgets to explore the past of each one of the characters as well as never taking truly advantage of their personal psychological conflicts as happen in the book, especially Rydal, the main character.The title is a reference to Janus, a roman god with two faces, guardian of the transitions, doors, decisions and the beginning.
The result is an empty movie with a trite ending that makes entire plot feels redundant rather than being Rydal's final journey in search for absolution over his most inner conflicts.Even developing an excellent job, Viggo Mortensen has his talent wasted here because of the forgettable film that it strikingly is.
The European settings in Athens, Crete and Istanbul aren't always the most picture perfect postcard parts but it's authentic and it feels very on location.Kirsten Dunst surprisingly looks alright with Viggo Mortensen.
Starring Aragorn (aka Viggo Mortensen), that girl from the first Spider-Man series (Kirsten Dunst), and one of the most sought-after, up-and-coming, young- actor-types of today, Oscar Issac, this film is a succinct story of trust set across Aegean Europe.Rydal (Isaac) is a young American working as a tour guide and small- time con man in Athens when he stumbles upon Chester (Mortensen) and Collette McFarland (Dunst).
Rich, glamorous couple Chester (Viggo Mortensen) and Colette MacFarland (Kirsten Dunst) arrive in Athens, apparently for a sightseeing holiday, where they meet Greek-speaking, American tour guide Rydal (Oscar Isaac), who supplements his income through petty scamming.
However, as he wheedles his way into their lives, events take an unexpected turn when Chester's past appears at his door with a gun and Rydal is dragged into a downward spiral of desperate acts.Written and directed by Hossein Amini, The Two Faces of January is the feature directorial debut from the scribe of Snow White and the Huntsman and 47 Ronin.
It's just a matter of who cracks first and how the consequences will play out.Dunst gives a beautifully controlled performance as a woman both deceived and deceptive and one knows that, though she may be the victim here, she has her own hidden daggers to thrust.Isaac, on an impressive career trajectory after last year's Inside Llewyn Davis (three features in the can and currently shooting Star Wars: Episode VII) is at once comfortable in the skin of petty criminal Rydal, whose certainty unravels as life becomes unexpectedly complicated and hurtles out of his control.Mortensen, turns another commanding performance that is both subtle and severe as a man with secrets that may prove terminal for those involved.
As Mortensen continues to deliver solid, engaging performances, it is maddening that one of Hollywood's most dependable actors is not the Oscar winning A-lister he deserves to be.The Two Faces of January is not going to excite a lot of cinema-goers and I'm guessing last night's audience was fairly typical of those it will attract: limited, select but, on the whole, contemplatively satisfied.For more reviews from The Squiss, subscribe to my blog and like the Facebook page..
Dunst is a stunning delight, Mortensen is solid as a rock, Isaac fits his role like a glove, and the wonderful direction proves without a shadow of doubt that there are still some very talented film- makers out there working today.
What 'Drive' scribe Hossein Amini gives us with his directorial début is a suspenseful trill ride very much in the vein of Hitchcock films including a 60's setting and European locations much like 'To Catch A Thief.' Starring the incredibly talented and underrated Viggo Mortenson, up and comer Oscar Isaac and the lovely Kirsten Dunst; this is a film to check out.A couple of scam artists (Mortenson and Dunst) are in Greece on a romantic getaway.
They are able to do so with the aide of the tour guide but this is a world where there a consequences for every action and paranoia around each corner.Much like many of the films of Alfred Hitchcock 'The Two Faces of January' features characters that are very flawed and not always likable.
From it's 60's setting to it's Bernard Herrmann like score and ethically ambiguous characters, Hossein Amini's directorial début is a film I believe Alfred Hitchcock himself would be pretty damn proud of..
He finds a mark in American couple Chester MacFarland (Viggo Mortensen) and his wife Colette (Kirsten Dunst).
It isn't often that movies feel fresh and old-fashioned at the same time, but that's precisely the case with The Two Faces Of January - a smart, tense thriller with metaphor and deception lurking around every corner.
Fans of Alfred Hitchcock's most beloved films - which blend high human drama with nail-biting tension to spectacular effect - will find much to enjoy in screenwriter Hossein Amini's assured directorial debut.The story - taken from Patricia Highsmith's 1964 novel - opens in Athens, where we meet Rydal (Oscar Isaac), an American grifter who uses his knowledge of the language and the city to cheat and seduce any tourists willing to fall for his considerable charms.
At the Acropolis, he comes across a seemingly pleasant, normal American couple: courtly, genial Chester MacFarland (Viggo Mortensen) and his new, sweet wife Colette (Kirsten Dunst).
Yeah, I didn't think much of this Patricia Highsmith novel adaptation, which feels like one of those films (such as THE TOURIST) which is all about the visuals - the locations, costumes, look of actors etc.
It seems that the Iranian born Hossein Amini is better known as a scriptwriter, as this was his first feature length directed movie, so perhaps he should stick to writing.One of the most criminal things about The Two Faces of January is that it wastes a leading performance from the great Viggo Mortensen.
The characters played by Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst and Oscar Isaac weave a web of intrigue and secrets which end up being their undoing and cause things to go wrong, as is apt to happen in a film such as this.
Set in 1960s Greece, the plot of this oddly titled film involves a small-time con artist who gets more than he bargained for after posing as tour guide for a vacationing American couple.
American tourists Chester and Colette McFarland (Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst), on holiday in Greece, encounter down-at-heel tourist guide Rydal (Oscar Isaac).
It's a pretty simple storyline, with no major plot twists or memorable events, yet it's also a pleasure to watch as the tension between the three protagonists begins to rise.Dunst's role as the young wife gets a backseat halfway through this journey, since this is mainly a power struggle between the two men, but, luckily, their performances are great, especially Mortensen's, whose character is the most multilayered one, and, strangely enough, the most likable despite him being the least innocent of the bunch – not to mention that he oozes vintage charm from every pore, whether he lights up a cigarette, drinks whiskey, or just sits casually.The only flaws here?
"The Two Faces of January" has interesting stars, great locations and has been made with care, but somewhere along the way I feel it needed an extra twist.Set in 1962, a young American tour guide, Rydal (Oscar Isaac), who is working a few angles in Athens meets up with a couple of wealthy tourists, investment adviser Chester McFarland (Viggo Mortensen) and his young wife Colette (Kirsten Dunst).It doesn't take Rydal long to realise that Chester is not all that he seems, and is actually on the run after swindling clients in America.
Without giving too much away, Chester and Rydal meet for a final confrontation in Athens.It's not a bad story with appealing stars but the script seems over-simplified from Patricia Highsmith's novel, which did have an extra twist or two buried between the covers.The film has a strong resemblance to another film: "The Wrong Man" made in 1993 with John Lithgow and Rosanna Arquette.
The film is described as a psychological thriller, but there seems little mystery in their motivations and they come across simply as desperate people on the run - I was waiting for a sting, which would get more of a gasp out of the audience before the end.However it does deliver something on a more straightforward level and Viggo and Kirsten are engaging actors.
This directional debut of screenwriter Hossein Amini (Drive, The Four Feathers) is a beautifully shot, well-acted and fast paced throwback to the glory days of Hitchcockian thrillers that from the very first frame paints an intriguing plotboiler of a story that never outstays its welcome and offers up a movie treat for those cinema lovers that have been chasing a smart, believable and stylish old school thriller.Based on Talented Mr. Ripley author Patricia Highsmith's book of the same name, The Two Faces of January has its foundation set in a solid and interesting base and it's great to see Amini make the most of his potent material.
At the heart of this tale we have the increasingly good Oscar Isaac (who may just officially break the big time in the upcoming A Most Violent Year) as American expat Rydal, Viggo Mortensen's deceptive Chester and his caring wife Colette played by Dunst.
The interplay between the three leads is fantastic and it's a particular joy to see Mortensen having such a blast, in what is another display of his fine acting talents that on occasion, are failed to be fully utilised.The Two Faces of January wouldn't of been out of place if it were to have been released in the 1960's (you can practically see the film being led by a Bogart like figure) and Hitchcock himself would have had a blast with this no fuss, expertly paced and overall fun thriller.
While there were some distinct changes from the page to the screen, the essence of the mystery remains intact due to the impressive directorial debut by Hossein Amini, who also wrote the literate screenplay.Filmed on location in Athens, Crete, and Istanbul, we meet Chester MacFarland (Viggo Mortensen, intriguing in his acting choices), a ruthless con man and his pretty young wife, Colette (Kristin Dunst).
"The Two Faces of January" is a pretty straight forward movie, there isn't anything special going on, there aren't any original ideas explored, but it does its job and does it respectably.The film works as a thriller definitely thanks to the chemistry and performances of its cast.
As with Patricia Highsmith's other works, a key theme is male one-upmanship but it doesn't play out here quite the way it ought to, especially with the final pay-off, which is nonetheless quite satisfying.Nothing wrong with any of the performances, and the twists and turns of the plot work well, but if you can't really sympathise too much with the characters, the director ought to have a more mischievous style perhaps, rather like Hitchcock of course.
A thriller centered on a con artist (Viggo Mortensen), his wife (Kirsten Dunst), and a stranger (Oscar Isaac) who flee Athens after one of them is caught up in the death of a private detective.Not being familiar with the novel, I cannot really comment on if this is a good adaptation or not.
I'm also a huge fan of Mortensen and Isaac's work so I expected to have a great time, but despite their solid performances I never cared for the characters nor the suspense the film was trying to raise.
Personally, I think it was a good choice, as we are traveling to Greece, circa 1962, with Chester (Viggo Mortensen) and Colette (Kirsten Dunst).They are a rich couple on vacation, and soon into the film an American-born multi-lingual scam-artist, Rydal (Oscaar Isaac), watches them dining and takes interest as he notices the huge hotel they are staying in.
Ambitious, gorgeous, even brave at times, though not always assured, Hossein Amini's beautiful and cautiously constructed thriller The Two Faces of January is an admirable piece featuring a trio of impressive performances from Viggo Mortensen, Oscar Isaac, and Kirsten Dunst.
Oscar-nominee Amini, who writes and directs, showcases an intriguing aesthetic in his directorial debut that stands out as one of the most interesting and satisfying features of the summer.The film tells the story of Chester (Mortensen) and Colette McFarland (Dunst), a con-artist and wife on the run in Greece in 1962.
The three first-rate actors here Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst, and Oscar Isaac are all excellent in their roles.The film opens in Athens, Greece, in 1962, as Mortensen, portraying Chester, and Dunst, playing Colette, appear initially like any American tourist couple visiting the Greek ruins, like the Acropolis and the Parthenon.However, when a private detective shows up at their hotel room that night, we quickly learn that Chester has bilked many investors out of their money in the States, and is now on the lam, and traveling through Europe to try and avoid arrest.
The film is based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith.All in all, despite some far fetched plot elements, this character driven movie kept me engaged and interested, and I would say it's worth a watch..
The film centers around a glamorous American couple,Chester and Colette (Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst),caught up in a murder and an American tour guide,Rydal (Oscar Isaac),who offers himself in order to help them flee the country.
After helping Chester and his wife Colette (Kirsten Dunst) escape Athens, he begins to fall for the unfailing charm of Colette, a misled and misleading young woman trapped between the man she loves and the life she wants to live.Without this intriguing trio and the stunning Mediterranean locations, The Two Faces of January would probably be easily forgettable as the plot is quite thin and borrows from too many of its predecessors to be original, but the ending, which one might call too neat, actually leaves you with lingering questions about human relationships.
Based on the Patricia Highsmith novel (the "Mr. Ripley" series), Viggo Mortensen stars as an American in Greece married to a much younger woman (Kirsten Dunst), who develop a love triangle with a young American traveling abroad.Now, at first, I thought Mortensen was actually conning the young guy, but then as the film went on, it seemed maybe the other way around- all leading to a very unsatisfactory ending.
Basically set in 1962, charismatic Chester MacFarland (Viggo Mortensen) and his alluring younger wife Colette (Kirsten Dunst) are a glamorous couple from America touring Greece, they visit visit the Acropolis of Athens.
A wealthy American couple, Chester MacFarland (Viggo Mortensen) and his much younger wife Colette (Kirsten Dunst), are enjoying the sights of Greece when, by chance, they meet Rydal (Oscar Issac).
Based on a novel by Patricia Highsmith, this psychological thriller revolves around the dynamics of three people in 1962 Greece: Chester MacFarland (Viggo Mortensen), his wife, Colette (Kirsten Dunst), and their guide, Rydal (Oscar Isaac).Early on in the movie we learn Rydal, an expatriate American who speaks fluent Greek, is a hoodwinker, ripping off unsuspecting tourists in Athens, where he is a local tour guide.