Although Oscar nominated for writing 1997's The Wings of the Dove, Hossein Amimi shone brightest in the spotlight for writing the acclaimed Drive, enough so that he earned the opportunity to write and direct his own film, The Two Faces of January. Although a thriller drenched in style, it couldn't be further from Drive. While Drive relishes in quiet tension, The Two Faces of January is much more obvious, but in an equally enjoyable if much a much weaker way. Its tone is hard to place, while dark and certainly not comic, there's an accessible lightness about it. I can see why others found it risible. The drama between Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst and Oscar Isaac feel like high school teenagers. While some moments between them fumble, others hit a tender spot. It's breezy, with a great atmosphere in its Greek production design, and it blends well with the tension of its Hitchcockian thriller narrative to make an engaging and occasionally resonate film despite its silliness but it stops it from being cold or dry. It may not live up to Amimi's potential, but it's decent stuff. Hopefully he has more to offer later.
7/10
7/10