Two Faces of January - Available on Prime - 3.5/5

 Based on a novel by Patricia Highsmith, “Two Faces of January” follows a couple visiting Athens in 1962. Chester, the man, is considerably older than his wife, Collette. They meet a guide at the Acropolis who offers to guide them through a flee market. He’s an American who speaks the Greek fluently. The connections he makes with locals all seem to involve putting money in his pocket. He’s a bit of a grifter whose word can never be trusted. We learn that Chester is a man cut from the same cloth only he’s been at it longer with considerably higher stakes.

The look and feel of the movie is very much like that of the movies from the era in which it’s supposed to take place. The instrumental music and cinematography evoke those that would have been used by the likes of Alfred Hitchcock or John Huston. It’s paced similarly without the special effects and CGI used in the present day.

All these combine for entertaining viewing with a plot that’s difficult to predict.


Written and Directed by Hossein Amini









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