Films about con artists have an inherently thrilling prospect for any actor if it is not sufficient to play a single deceptive, scheming character, it can be even far more fulfilling to play the distinctive identities that they can concoct in order to pull off a key crime. However, con artist films also demand a strong lead functionality from a star who can engross their audience without having ever definitively linking themselves to just a single persona. The very best con artist films are these in which the audience is taken by surprise as usually as the characters are. While the genre was when very preferred with films like The Grifters and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, the 2014 period thriller The Two Faces of January is a delightfully entertaining throwback to classic caper films.

Based on the novel of the similar name by The Talented Mr. Ripley author Patricia Highsmith, The Two Faces of January characteristics Viggo Mortensen in a single of his initially key roles following The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Despite the international acclaim that his part as Aragorn earned him, Mortensen has spent the final decade operating on smaller sized independent projects that permit him to play far more nuanced characters. It’s a choice that was significantly useful for genre film fans. The Two Faces of January revamps the con artist story by displaying the inherent ruthlessness that comes with living a life of lies.

The Two Faces of January

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

Release Date

May 16, 2014

Director

Hossein Amini

Runtime

96

Writers

Hossein Amini , Patricia Highsmith

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What Is ‘The Two Faces of January’ About?

Set in Greece for the duration of the 1960s, The Two Faces of January follows a lifelong con man as he requires an extended trip and attempts to elude justice. Chester MacFarland (Viggo Mortensen) has managed to go undetected for years, and enlists the support of his wife Colette (Kirsten Dunst) to support him pull off his swindles. However, Chester’s seemingly ideal strategy is thrown off course when he accidentally kills a private detective who accuses him of swindling investment. In the aftermath, Chester is forced to seek the support of the alienated American tourist Rydal Keener (Oscar Isaac) in order to safely exit the nation. Despite forming a fragile alliance, each Chester and Rydal commence to suspect every single other’s accurate intentions as they prepare to pull off a heist in Crete.

As with a lot of of Highsmith’s adaptations, The Two Faces of January does a excellent job at making an aura of paranoia. Even although Chester’s initial killing of the detective is accomplished in self-defense, the suggestion that he is capable of violence raises even far more inquiries about his previous, and what other crimes that he has committed. Similarly, the lack of data about Rydal precludes the audience from forming a robust attachment to him. Although Isaac is an inherently charismatic actor, Rydal’s presentation of himself as an enigmatic, however oddly resourceful tourist does not appear totally believable. Dunst also succeeds in subverting the audience’s viewpoint by displaying the energy that Colette has more than Chester. While the historical context would recommend that Chester’s wife would be a far more submissive character, Colette rapidly proves to be the “Lady Macbeth” of the scenario.

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‘The Two Faces of January’ Takes a Different Approach to the Con Artist Story

Con artist films usually take a comedic strategy to the notion of dual identities, but The Two Faces of January shows how isolating becoming a con man can be. There are quite couple of references to Chester’s backstory, as he is cautious about providing away any data that could in any way unravel his identity. However, there’s also the suggestion that Chester has begun to drop himself inside the characters that he portrays. He’s gotten so made use of to masking his accurate feelings that he no longer feels in touch with his initial motivations for choosing up a life of crime. There’s an ironic tragedy to Mortensen’s functionality he might be a “confidence man,” but he has no private pride in his personal identity. The ambiguity of his emotional state only tends to make the film even far more enthralling.

Highsmith’s novel undoubtedly offered a robust groundwork for the story, but The Two Faces of January adds a level of suspense that feels indebted to the films of Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock films like The Man Who Wasn’t There and North by Northwest generate tension by placing characters in an unfamiliar atmosphere exactly where they are not adjusted to the social customs. Once Chester, Colette, and Rydal turn out to be trapped in Greece, they are forced to transform their behavior in order to not stick out in a crowd. The film also boasts some impressive set pieces that really feel quite Hitchockian an thrilling moment exactly where Chester and Rydal flee from the historical internet site of Knossos undoubtedly feels worthy of “The Master of Suspense.”

‘The Two Faces of January’ Shows the Unique Star Power of Viggo Mortensen

Aragorn might be the character he’s most closely related with, but Mortensen has constantly been utilized very best when he gets to play morally dubious anti-heroes. While he got to play far more checkered protagonists in the David Cronenberg films Eastern Promises and A History of Violence, there are moments in The Two Faces of January exactly where Chester’s actions are borderline villainous. It creates an intriguing dynamic with the viewer when there’s an clear investment in seeing how Chester will pull off his scheme, he’s under no circumstances a character that the audience is rooting for.

Blockbuster cinema might be alluring for some stars, but Mortensen has refreshingly selected to do some of his very best function in smaller sized projects. The Two Faces of January is the variety of mystery thriller that feels like a throwback to the “Golden Age of Hollywood,” in spite of its far more contemporary editing strategies. While it is a shame that this is not a genre that Hollywood returns to quite usually, it is good to see that it really is a single that Mortensen nevertheless has a passion for.

The Two Faces of January is obtainable to stream on Prime Video in the U.S.

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