Based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith, Magnolia Pictures will release Hossein Amini‘s The Two Faces of January on iTunes/OnDemand on August 28 and in theaters September 26.
Amini penned the screenplay which is set in 1962 and centers on an American couple, Chester MacFarland (Viggo Mortensen) and his wife Colette (Kirsten Dunst), who arrive in Athens by boat via the Corinthian Canal. While sightseeing at the Acropolis they encounter Rydal (Oscar 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.
The film marks Amini’s directorial debut after writing such screenplays as Nicolas Winding Refn‘s Drive and contributing to Snow White and the Huntsman. Give the trailer a watch and let me know if this looks like one you’ll be seeking out.
