Top 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2013: #91. Hossein Amini’s The Two Faces of January

The Two Faces of January

Director/Writer: Hossein Amini
Producer(s): Tom Sternberg, Working Title’s Tim Bevan & Eric Fellner and Robyn Slovo.
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst, Oscar Isaac

Since 2011’s Drive, Hossein Amini’s has been striking the iron while it is hot – his name is on a foursome of titles in Our Kind of Traitor, 47 Ronin, 2012’s Snow White and the Huntsman and this globe trotter thriller. On the Road‘s Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst topline a tale that will definitely look the part – here’s hoping that his debut churns out a Tinker/Ripley/Constant Gardner type.

Gist: Based on Patricia Highsmith’s 1962 novel, this is about a glamorous American couple, the charismatic Chester MacFarland (Mortensen) and his alluring younger wife Colette (Dunst), arrive in Athens by boat via the Corinthian Canal. While sightseeing at the Acropolis they encounter Rydal (Isaac), a young, Greek-speaking American who is working as a tour guide, scamming tourists on the side. Drawn to Colette’s beauty and impressed by Chester’s wealth and sophistication, Rydal gladly accepts their invitation to dinner. However, all is not as it seems with the MacFarlands and Chester’s affable exterior hides darker secrets. When Rydal visits the couple at their exclusive hotel, Chester presses him to help move the body of a seemingly unconscious man who he claims attacked him. In the moment, Rydal agrees but as events take a more sinister turn he finds himself compromised and unable to pull himself free. His increasing infatuation with the vulnerable and responsive Colette gives rise to Chester’s jealousy and paranoia, leading to a tense and dangerous battle of wits between the two men.

Release Date: The French have set this with a year-end theatrical release, so we’re expecting multiple fall season festival showings and a suitor such as Focus Features primed for a late year release.