Those who well remember Hollywood's most high-profile adaptation from American novelist Patricia Highsmith's thriller, The Talented Mr Ripley (1999), are once again invited to travel with an increasingly fraught American trio in picturesque Europe.

Iranian-British screenwriter Hossein Amini, known for his talent in adapting literary works for the big screen with The Wings of the Dove (1997), chose to turn to Highsmith's 1964 novel as the source material for his directorial debut The Two Faces of January, and has pulled it off with clear storytelling, impressive casting and stunning visuals.

Scenes featuring Viggo Mortensen and Kristen Dunst in the film The Two Faces of January Photos: CFP

The film begins as Rydal (Oscar Isaac), a charming American expat working as a tour guide in Greece who cons tourists out of cash, discovers his new prey, the charismatic and worldly Chester MacFarland (Viggo Mortensen) and his young, beautiful wife Colette (Kristen Dunst), who are on vacation.

Moreover, it is not just money Rydal is after this time - he sees a resemblance to his dead father in Chester, and grows a romantic interest in Colette. The complexity and contest escalates as it soon turns out Chester is the older, more veteran con man, and Rydal has to help the couple flee after they get into trouble.

A thriller maker's top responsibility lies in building up suspense, and Amini assures the audience they are in the right hands with just the right amount of patience and composure when he carefully readies them for the twists and turns.

A Highsmith novel has little surprise left for today's seen-it-all audience, and consequently the film does seem conventional in storytelling. Therefore, it is owing to the filmmaker's calculation and craft that one at least experiences a few minutes of heartfelt nerves and horrors when the trio enters a dark cave as the climax of the film unfolds.

The three leading actors at the core of the film are enchanting to watch. There is an endless list of blondes who the male characters fight for, but Dunst does not fail to keep up the interest and curiosity. The actress is convincing as a carefree trophy wife who is turned cold and paranoid. She maintains a touch of girly cuteness which renders her increasingly immature behavior natural.

 

 

But it is Mortensen and Isaac that the film really could not do without. Mortensen effortlessly mixes glamour with masculinity and swiftness, and excels in several performances of secret or open insecurity and jealousy - it is almost impossible for the audience to empathize with him. Isaac, on the other hand, perfectly balances confident shrewdness and innocent frustration, and manages to be thoughtful and sexy at once.

The interaction between the two con men in the last third of the film makes for the best section. They are the two sides of a same coin and the "two faces of January" of the title. While in The Talented Mr Ripley we see one protagonist's unrequited romantic feelings for another, here Chester and Rydal develop something more unexpected - a semi-paternal relationship despite all the swindling and framing. Meticulously shot hints are dropped here and there, eventually making the two characters' final scene together resonate.

In addition, the period thriller is simply beautiful to watch and listen to, thanks to a superb crew. For one thing, the main cast is gorgeously dressed in retro fashion by Stephen Noble (Trainspotting, 1996), with Mortensen looking particularly classy in creamy-color suit and hat. Cinematographer Marcel Zyskind (Dancer in the Dark, 2000), on the other hand, presents sizzling Athens and nighttime Istanbul at their best. A fine score by Alberto Iglesias (The Constant Gardener, 2005) helps to transport the audience back in space and time.

A poster for the film

Everyone's a critic

Hai

26, IT

"As a directorial debut, the film is very well shot and well acted. It has a classical style - collected, slow-paced, and so-mewhat Hitchcockian. I think there is a lot more to expect from this director."

Catcat

30, medical industry

"The original story is too old-fashioned for today's viewers, but the filmmaker compensates for this with nice details. Oscar Isaac is even more eye-catching than the Mediterranean scenery, and will drag sleepy audiences through the film."

Miss Yao

27, communications

"The plot is not that thrilling but definitely enjoyable, so I find every minute of the film well spent. But I think the film should dig deeper into that semi-paternal relationship between the two male characters, otherwise the end scene just seems a bit abrupt."