May 15, 2014 the two faces of january directed by hossein amini starring viggo mortensen, kirsten dunst and oscar isaac on general release in the uk from 16 may 2014. Thrills but viggo mortensen proves a weak link thriller fans have reason to be thankful for hossein aminis the two faces of. Even if you were unaware that hossein aminis sly, attractive thriller was adapted from a patricia highsmith novel you would if familiar with a few key works deduce that fact after only. Now comes hossein amini s the two faces of january, which clearly comes closer to the minghella film than to the others, probably for commercial reasons, but also likely because the late minghellas estate was crucial in getting the movie made. On paper, there are any number of reasons to be excited for the two faces of january, which screens during the berlin film festival this week. A first time director here, but a longtime screenwriter, hossein amini adapted the novel by patricia highsmith the talented mr. Who did curiosity kill in the two faces of january. The two faces of january by hossein amini hossein amini. Mary evans on a film adaptation of patricia highsmiths 1964 novel that questions the.
An interview with two faces of january writerdirector. Adapted by academy award nominee hossein amini drive, and produced by working title and timnick films the talented mr. Patricia highsmiths novels have consistently fascinated. Ripley, strangers on a train and brought it to the screen. After adapting the wings of the dove and drive for other directors, hossein amini makes his directorial debut with his take on highsmiths 1964 novel. The two faces of january a wealthy american couple on a sightseeing tour of athens draw a shady tour guide into a treacherous game of deception in this international thriller adapted from a novel by patricia highsmith. The two faces of january, directed by hossein amini times. The two faces of january, directed by hossein amini. The tv movie covered the murder of sean devereux, an aid worker who was murdered in somalia in 1993 for criticizing arms sales. The two faces of januarys viggo mortensen, hossein amini. The screenwriter makes his directorial debut with the film adaptation of patricia highsmiths. The two faces of january directed by hossein amini starring viggo mortensen, kirsten dunst and oscar isaac on general release in the uk from 16 may 2014. Like the films of those largely middlebrow directors, the two faces of january is too neatly wrapped around a sense of gradually unraveling characters. The two faces of january news newspapers books scholar jstor october 2008 learn how.
A life of patricia highsmith claims the title is appropriate for the janusfaced, fluxlike nature of her protagonists. Discussing what appealed to him in patricia highsmiths simmering thriller the two faces of january, firsttime director hossein amini landed on the deliberate lack of character motivation. Nevertheless, amini wrings stellar performances from isaac and mortensen, which. It is based on patricia highsmith s 1964 novel the two faces of january and stars viggo mortensen, kirsten dunst and oscar isaac. Jan 30, 2015 director and screenwriter hossein amini. The two faces of january, from a highsmith novel the new york. Viggo talks about how he has been choosing which project to take on, and his character in the film.
This special edition includes a foreword by director and screenwriter hossein amini. Nevertheless, amini wrings stellar performances from isaac and mortensen, which lessens some of the films more wooden elements. A thriller centered on a con artist, his wife, and a stranger who flee. The two faces of january, from a highsmith novel the new. The iranianborn writer has been at work in film for 20 years, penning screenplays for lavish period pictures the four feathers, jude, bigbudget fantasies snow white and the huntsman, 47 ronin, and nicolas winding refns arthouse thriller, drive. Hossein aminis adaptation of a patricia highsmith novel is an elegantly pleasurable experience, says tim robey 4 the two faces of january. The two faces of january stars viggo mortensen and kirsten dunst and oscar isaac, and is the directorial debut by hossein amini. Amini admits the two faces of january is not the best of highsmiths books, yet it had him hooked from the first time he read it 20 years ago. Tom kalin savage grace talks hossein aminis the two faces of. He was nominated for numerous awards for the 1997 film the wings of the dove, including an academy award for best writing adapted screenplay. Listen to songs and albums by hossein amini, including gelayeh feat.
Adapted by academy award nominee hossein amini drive, and produced by working title and timnick films. Biographer andrew wilson, in his 2003 publication beautiful shadow. Starring viggo mortensen, kirsten dunst and oscar isaac. A film version of the two faces of january, starring viggo mortensen, kirsten dunst, and oscar isaac drive, inside llewelyn davis is in production. The two faces of january kirsten dunst and viggo mortensen overview a wealthy american couple on a sightseeing tour of athens draw a shady tour guide into a treacherous game of deception in this international thriller adapted from a novel by patricia highsmith. The two faces of january 1964 is a psychological thriller novel by patricia highsmith. Mar 19, 2020 amini admits the two faces of january is not the best of highsmiths books, yet it had him hooked from the first time he read it 20 years ago. The film makes something powerful and explicit from the ideas about sexuality that highsmith implicitly recognised but. The two faces of january, from a highsmith novel the. The characters in the two faces of january are cut from that same amoral cloth. The two faces of january par hossein amini avec kirsten dunst et. May 16, 2014 the two faces of january is conventional as highsmith goes, the plot playing out more or less precisely as you expect, and yet there is a genuinely surprising sting in the tail.
Leon nealafpgetty images we were incredibly lucky to film at the acropolis when we made the two faces of january, which i adapted for the. Courtesy magnolia pictures viggo mortensen, oscar isaac and kirsten dunst in the two faces of january, a magnolia pictures. Hossein amini thinks the two faces of january is a unique crimethriller. Hossein amini celebrity profile check out the latest hossein amini photo gallery, biography. The first feature directed by hossein amini, who wrote the scripts for drive and snow white and the huntsman, the two faces of january doesnt aspire to much more than being a. It was amazing, seeing a blackandwhite movie on that scale for the first time and seeing how bizarre it was, the oscarnominated screenwriter of.
The two faces of january by hossein amini director viggo mortensen actor. Buy the two faces of january virago modern classics by patricia highsmith from amazons fiction books store. His script for 1997s the wings of the dove earned him a nomination for. The two faces of january, only lovers left alive, frank and more a patricia highsmith adaptation is dressed to kill, tilda swinton. The two faces of january is a 2014 americanbritishfrench thriller film written and directed by hossein amini, in his directorial debut. The two faces of january is a psychological thriller set in 1960s europe, starring viggo mortensen, kirsten dunst and oscar isaac. Hossein amini was born in iran, and when he was 11 years old, he and his family moved to england. The director hossein amini sets up all these pieces and looks, these covert glances and hushed exchanges, with economy and borderline geometric precision. This very obfuscation drew attention at the time of the novels 1964 publication, when the reader at highsmiths publisher identified a. The two faces of january tells the tale of compatriots. For those unfamiliar, highsmith created tom ripley and provided alfred hitchcock with the source material for strangers on a train.
He also won a best adapted screenplay award from the austin. A look at the two faces of january theatrical trailer. Thrills but viggo mortensen proves a weak link thriller fans have reason to be thankful for hossein amini s the two faces of. New director turns to an old favorite, 2 faces of january. Director hossein amini understands dread is a dish best served slow. The two faces of january is a psychological thriller novel by patricia highsmith. An elegant shadow hangs over hossein aminis sleek thriller the two faces of january. A thriller centered on a con artist, his wife, and a stranger who flee athens after one of them is caught up in the death of a private detective. Filming took place on location in greece and turkey, and at ealing studios.
Oct 26, 2015 a film version of the two faces of january, starring viggo mortensen, kirsten dunst, and oscar isaac drive, inside llewelyn davis is in production. Sep 26, 2014 director hossein amini understands dread is a dish best served slow. A look at the two faces of january theatrical trailer also from magnolia home entertainment set up audio english 5. The novels of american author patricia highsmith for which the term. It was written and directed by hossein amini, and starred viggo mortensen, kirsten dunst and oscar isaac. Ripley, directed by hossein amini screenwritter of drive, and starring viggo mortensen eastern promise, kristen dunst spiderman and oscar isaac w. The two faces of january by patricia highsmith two men meet in the picturesque backstreets of athens. Tom kalin savage grace talks hossein aminis the two faces of january. Courtesy magnolia pictures viggo mortensen, oscar isaac and kirsten dunst.
The idea is for amini to make his directing debut with the film and mortensen to star, the person said. Ripley and the producers of tinker tailor soldier spy comes a stylish and breathtaking thriller following the charismatic chester macfarland viggo mortensen and his alluring wife colette kirsten dunst as they befriend a young guide oscar isaac during a european trip. The two faces of january is based on a 1964 patricia highsmith novel about two affluent american tourists vacationing in europe. The two faces of january written and directed by hossein amini. Viggo mortensen, kirsten dunst, oscar isaac, daisy bevan, david warshofsky, hossein amini. Writer and firsttime director hossein amini, along with talented cinematographer marcel syskind, capture all this and more in their elegant adaptation of highsmiths 1964 novel, the two faces. Writerdirector hossein aminis the two faces of january, based on the patricia highsmith novel, has its world premiere here tonight as a berlinale special screening. The two faces of january by patricia highsmith bookchor. The two faces of january is based on a 1964 patricia highsmith novel. The film surrounds a glamorous american couple, the charismatic chester macfarland viggo mortensen and his alluring younger wife colette kirsten dunst, as they arrive in athens.
The two faces of january by hossein amini overdrive. Oct 09, 2014 an elegant shadow hangs over hossein aminis sleek thriller the two faces of january. Feb 14, 2014 hossein amini s adaptation of a patricia highsmith novel is an elegantly pleasurable experience, says tim robey 4 the two faces of january. A life of patricia highsmith claims the title is appropriate for the janusfaced, fluxlike. Viggo mortensen and hossein amini interview viggo mortensen and hossein amini talk about the genesis of the project and how their partnership helped it come together. With viggo mortensen, kirsten dunst, oscar isaac, daisy bevan. Rydal keener is a young drifter looking for adventure. Its title alludes to the two faces of the roman god janus, after whom the month of january was named. Viggo mortensen looks to team up with drive screenwriter.
Sep 26, 2014 the director hossein amini sets up all these pieces and looks, these covert glances and hushed exchanges, with economy and borderline geometric precision. Hossein amini bided his time before stepping behind a movie camera. After so much emphasis on the ugliness of humanity, the third act dovetails into a cathartic grace note that is emotionally rewarding if not redemptive. Amini has worked as a screenwriter since the early 1990s. Screenplay written and directed by academy award nominee hossein amini 42 ronin, snow white and the huntsman, drive. While sightseeing, they encounter rydal oscar isaac a young, greekspeaking american. Two faces of january hossein amini 876964007955 hpb. Hossein amini celebrity profile check out the latest hossein amini photo gallery, biography, pics, pictures, interviews, news, forums and blogs at rotten tomatoes. The two faces of january by hossein amini curtis brown. We learned a while ago that hossein amini, who wrote the original draft of drive, is planning to make his directorial debut with a new adaptation of the book the two faces of january. Filmmaker hossein amini on athens travel the guardian. Now comes hossein aminis the two faces of january, which clearly comes closer to the minghella film than to the others, probably for commercial reasons, but also likely because the late minghellas estate was crucial in getting the movie made.
659 163 723 784 944 185 639 351 158 1044 378 460 965 1237 758 1252 1492 689 1056 274 1157 701 1490 1355 1278 48 1048 947 450 807 912 1049 893 559 358 1119 1490