The Two Faces of January is an interesting little film written and
directed by Hossein Amini, a man best known for penning the script of Drive. Here Amini delivers another
taught script set in early 1960s Greece. American tour guide and
part time swindler Rydal (Oscar Isaac) gives tours to unsuspecting travellers
in the Greek capital Athens and one day comes across an American couple with
whom he strikes up conversation and a brief friendship. The tour guide is
charmed by the couple and drawn to their wealth and beauty but when it becomes
apparent that the couple aren’t quite as well refined and put together as they
first appear, Rydal helps them to evade those hunting them before becoming
embroiled in their strange and murky circumstances.
There were two things that
attracted me to this movie. The first was the name Amini. I was curious to see
the screenwriter’s directorial debut and was interested in his script. The
second factor was Viggo Mortensen. At this stage in the actor’s career I feel
as though I can pretty much trust that if he’s agreed to be in it, it will be
good enough to see. Mortensen does indeed impress and his choice of role is
once again solid. The movie is about surface and sheen and the attraction that
bright and beautiful things hold while under the surface bubbles something more
sinister. There’s an uneasy feeling which envelops the film and it stabs
through the false surface from time to time in a wonderfully calm but out of
control manner.
