On The Two Faces of January

The Romans named the month of January after Janus, the god of transitions, who presided over the beginnings and endings of conflict. As Janus oversaw the beginnings and endings his divine duties were extended to doors and passageways. So, when Viggo Mortensen’s Chester Macfarland watches, through the doorway of a backstreet Greek hotel, his wife and a mysterious tour guide lightly embrace, Janus does not seem to be on his side.

It is amongst the ruins, in a country synonymous with myth that Hossein Amini’s The Two Faces of January takes place. The film is a superbly crafted slow burning thriller that always seems to threaten a major character twist, but to its credit, refrains from doing so. This is a film of quiet conflict with characters that don’t as much change, as slowly reveal more sinister sides to their personalities. The conflict between a man and wife, a man and his father and men and their country are all explored here. In these ways it is thematically reminiscent of The Talented Mr Ripley (1999), which like January, is based on a novel by Patricia Highsmith. Both films examine Americans in Europe, unwilling to accept that the transition back home is inescapable.

Here, in January, Mortensen’s Chester is running from clients he has cheated in investment; his wife, younger and susceptible, runs with him. Oscar Isaac’s Rydal runs from privilege and a father he could never settle with. These characteristics are relatable, yet dramatic enough to keep Amini’s film edgy and when this nostophobia bubbles up it is released in murderous ways that give the films its darkness. The Two Faces of January is a quiet, but potent dramatic thriller that relies on characters, storytelling and a well chosen setting to keep its audience hooked.