The Two Faces of January (2014)

A thriller centered on a con artist, his wife, and a stranger who flee Athens after one of them is caught up in the death of a private detective.

Director:

Hossein Amini

Writers:

Hossein Amini, Patricia Highsmith (based on the novel by)

Stars:

Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst, Oscar Isaac

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Oscar Isaac	...	Rydal
Viggo Mortensen	...	Chester
Kirsten Dunst	...	Colette
Daisy Bevan	...	Lauren
Babis Chatzidakis	...	Stall Keeper
David Warshofsky	...	Paul Vittorio
Pat Hillard	...	American Hotel Guest
Ozan Tas	...	Hotel Grand Receptionist
Peter Mair	...	Elderly Man at Hotel Grand
Helena Jinx Jones	...	Elderly Woman at Hotel Grand
Omiros Poulakis	...	Nikos
George Tzoganidis	...	Heralkion Hotel Receptionist
Ioannis Vordos	...	Cafe Owner
Panagiota Stavrakaki	...	Landlady
Stella Fyrogeni	...	Barmaid (as Stela Fyrogeni)

Storyline

1962. A glamorous American couple, the charismatic Chester MacFarland (Mortensen) and his alluring younger wife Colette (Dunst), arrive in Athens by boat via the Corinth Canal. While sightseeing at the Acropolis they encounter Rydal (Isaac), a young, Greek-speaking American who is working as a tour guide, scamming tourists on the side. Drawn to Colette's beauty and impressed by Chester's wealth and sophistication, Rydal gladly accepts their invitation to dinner. However, all is not as it seems with the MacFarlands and Chester's affable exterior hides darker secrets. When Rydal visits the couple at their exclusive hotel, Chester presses him to help move the body of a seemingly unconscious man who he claims attacked him. In the moment, Rydal agrees but as events take a more sinister turn he finds himself compromised and unable to pull himself free. His increasing infatuation with the vulnerable and responsive Colette gives rise to Chester's jealousy and paranoia, leading to a tense and ...

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Plot Keywords:

greece | ruins | athens greece | american in europe | foot chase | 

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Taglines:

A mysterious encounter. A dangerous past. A deadly secret.

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Genres:

Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violence, language and smoking

Did You Know?

Trivia

Principal photography began August 2012 in Athens, Crete, Istanbul, and London's Ealing Studios. Identifiable locations include the Küçük Hasan mosque on Chania harbour, a nearby café and the Grand Arsenal in Plateia Katehaki, the ruins of Knossos near Iraklion, and the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul

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Goofs

When Chester asks the detective if he was a Marine, the detective says "Yes" and that he was happy when he left Europe after the war. Although some believe the Marines were not in Europe during World War II, there were several units deployed there for security and guard duty (the US Embassy in London being one example), and to support Operation Overlord (the invasion at Normandy). They were also used by the OSS, the Office of Strategic Services, for covert missions in Europe during the war. Thus the detective could have easily seen service in Europe during the war.

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Quotes

Chester MacFarland: I'm sorry I disappointed you.

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Connections

Featured in Film 2018: Episode dated 5 March 2014 (2014)

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Soundtracks

The Two Faces of January (Score)
(uncredited)
Written by Alberto Iglesias

User Reviews

A pleasure to watch

I have to applaud Hosseini's directorial debut. "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. The narrative is very well balanced and restrained from the hyperactive traps of modern cinematic storytelling.

Good acting from everyone involved and my compliments to the music composer too, for providing a very fitting soundtrack.

This is classic film making. Nothing innovative but very beautiful to look at, a fitting choice to watch on a lonely evening.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

UK France USA

Language:

English Greek Turkish

Release Date:

28 August 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Two Faces of January

Filming Locations:

Istanbul, Turkey

Box Office

Budget:

$31,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$43,116, 28 September 2014

Gross USA:

$507,463

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$13,551,951

Company Credits

Production Co:

Timnick Films, StudioCanal, Working Title Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1