The Two Faces of January (2014)
1962. A con artist, his wife, and a dangerous stranger are caught up in the murder of a private detective and are forced to try and escape Athens.
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This movie seemed promising but was seriously a waste of time. Not to mention the awful historical research.
It's set in the 60s and it definitely has that look of movies from that era. It's very-well shot and the locations throughout Greece and Turkey are gorgeous.The performances from the main cast are pretty good too. Ocsar Isaac, Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst all do a fine job. I've seen them in better films doing stronger work but they carry this story smoothly. It feels like a classic movie that my parents would probably like more than me. The story is not breakneck speed but feels concise at 90 minutes.By the end I found myself enjoying everything but aware I was not going to be engrossed or surprised by it. I probably won't remember much about it a month from now but the director did an above average job for his debut film.
I must first mention the striking visuals of the movie, though I know it is not the most important aspect. Nonetheless, they were so exceptionally beautiful, that they made me experience every scene in great depth.I liked the story, simple, with no unnecessary complications. It was well paced, and did not seem slow, though it was definitely old school-style. The acting by the 2 lead men was awesome, my favorite being Isaac. The characterizations were up to the mark, and I could well empathize with all the characters. A little variation in story could have helped the film, though.A good watch.
I found this to be vaguely reminiscent of The Talented Mr Ripley. I enjoyed the interesting settings and the galloping suspense of the movie. The acting was good - I particularly enjoyed Oscar Isaac and found him to be the most believable character in his role. I think that you could definitely sense where the storyline was heading but I was a little bit disappointed in the ending - I think the scene where Chester is shot in the back was a little bit confusing and alongside his confession, didn't really satisfy me as a worthy ending to the suspense filled build up. I can't pinpoint exactly where - but it also seemed to lack an edge that could have made it great. But overall it was an enjoyable thriller.