Let's be realistic.

i must have seen a different film!!

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Patricia Highsmith will always be remembered as the author of memorable thrillers such as THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY and STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, both transformed into equally noteworthy films at different points in time. She has the ability to create characters who seem outwardly attractive yet conceal guilty secrets; sometimes they are revealed to us, sometimes not.Written in 1964, THE TWO FACES OF January sits well within the Highsmith oeuvre. American tourists Chester and Colette McFarland (Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst), on holiday in Greece, encounter down-at-heel tourist guide Rydal (Oscar Isaac). Both Chester and Rydal tell one another about their past lives, but we never know whether they are being truthful or not. Matters come to a head when Chester is confronted in a five-star hotel by a gun-toting private eye (David Warshofsky), who threatens to kill Chester unless Chester pays some outstanding debts. A fight ensues; the detective is killed as he hits his head on the marble floor; and thence commences a pursuit narrative in which the McFarlands accompanied by Rydal try their best to evade the police.What is perhaps most noteworthy about Hossein Amini's adaptation is not what the characters say, but what they do not say. As befits someone who wrote the screenplay for THE WINGS OF THE DOVE (1997) based on the Henry James novel, Amini treats verbal exchanges as battles of wits between two men desperately trying to master one another. On the surface they remain polite - as befits polite society's conventions - but it's clear they are insanely jealous of one another, especially when Rydal has designs on McFarland's wife. The development of the plot depends on the outcome of this jealousy, prompting both men into actions that they would probably regret in the future.Set in 1962, this film has been shot in deliberately washed-out colors, emphasizing the period atmosphere. At that time tourism was not the mass pursuit that it is now; hence the ancient of Knossos becomes a sinister place full of dark caves and unexplored passages. The Grand Bazaar in İstanbul (Kapalı Çarsı) remains as full as ever, but Amini has taken care not to show too many automobiles, except in a long shot of the Galata Bridge. The period atmosphere forms an effective backdrop to the plot, taking us back to an era when morality - especially as far as adultery was concerned - was a lot stricter than it might be today.The three protagonists are cleverly delineated. Mortensen's Chester, resplendent in white suits and panama hats, looks every inch the bourgeois American abroad. As things begin to unravel for him, so he tries his best to maintain a calm, unruffled exterior, but the furrowing of his brow betrays his true feelings. Dunst is very much the innocent; not only in terms of her aloneness in the Mediterranean surroundings, but in her unawareness of precisely what happens. When she does discover, her rage is palpable, but she remains powerless to do anything. Isaac undergoes something of a change of character as Rydal; he begins the film as a conperson on the make, but continued association with the McFarland family renders him more sympathetic to humanity. This is especially evident in the film's final moments.For anyone unacquainted with this novel but fond of Highsmith's work, THE TWO FACES OF January reminds us of just what a masterly story-teller she was. Even if viewers don't remember her other works, they can still enjoy this thriller as a period drama with several intriguing twists.

Directorial debut of a really good screenwriter Hossein Amini of Drive fame. Kirsten Dunst is miscast, she's just not interesting, and you never believe she's having a single thought. The central setup is really forced and obvious; whatever it takes to get a love triangle going. It worked for Patricia HIghsmith in The Talented Mr. Ripley (1995) because everything about that film was so well made, but this film based on another one of her novels is just frustrating. You find yourself saying: yes but WHY is that character doing that, he doesn't know those people. Character motivations are weak and contrived. On a scale of 10 to infuriating I'd give it a 3, or frustrating.3/10

The Two Faces Of January is a bit of a weird film. The cast was talented enough with both Viggo Mortensen and Oscar Isaac giving good performances, and Kristen Dunst was good for what the role required of her. But even with this cast it very often felt like it was not sure what kind of movie it wanted to be. It had a kinda lovers on the lamb kind of feel, and then at many points reminded me of other better films, such as The Talented Mr. Ripley, only with much less suspense to it. The story itself is very slow paced and even when it goes somewhere it doesn't really seem to go anywhere, or, at least that's how it feels. and then the third act is really fast paced but still fairly dull. Overall I really would not recommend this unless you are die hard Viggo Mortensen fans, or love looking at mostly brown and grey scenery. 2.5 Beards Out Of 5

Almost resembling a documentary show of stranded tourists from Nat Geo channel, The Two Faces of January has a deceptively quaint atmosphere for a thriller. Characters are manipulative, morally ambiguous and have pathology tendency for deceit. However, it's irritatingly slow on creating tension and the script is rather thin even for the average runtime of the movie. The flamboyant visual is just barely enough to keep interest till the end.Chester (Viggo Mortensen) and Collette (Kirsten Dunst) are a couple who harbor some secrets. They take a vacation at Athens, but are eventually caught in an unfortunate incident and find themselves in a dire situation. Accepting the help of local con artist, Rydal (Oscar Isaac) they attempt to flee Greece. The movie has the acting department covered, a good trait since it's almost exclusively featuring these three characters as they clash personalities.It soon becomes clear that the seemingly happy couple are far from honest, even with each other. Situation escalates as Chester and Rydal collide, more than a couple of times. Using subtle cues it produces a sense of insecurity as the characters are trapped in unknown places, with slightly untrustworthy company, no less.The pace as it starts and ends are good, but it falters about halfway. Trivial banters keep the momentum from reaching its peak, furthermore the film uses too much of jealousy and dissatisfied couple tricks. It may build the characters, but the film roams into telenovela realm at some points, not the direction mystery thriller would optimize upon.Cinematography fares better, with the heavy European vista it's certainly has a different outlook. The retro vibe also helps, there's a distinct feel of classic detective nuance at play here. The mysteries, and also the latter act for that matter, are not highly captivating. The film serves as a crime drama in healthy does, but is not ambitious enough for complex con.Though it has charming cast and foreign allure, the slow pace might deter audience from taking part in this exotic trip.