Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen and Oscar Isaac keep the tension rising in thriller The Two Faces of January

THE Two Faces of January: A downmarket incident at an upmarket hotel is at the centre of a skilful thriller that will have you firmly in its grip.

Kirsten Dunst in a scene from film The Two Faces of January

A THRILLER where the thrills are few and far between?

That doesn’t sound like much of a recommendation for The Two Faces Of January, but indeed it is. This expertly executed adaptation of a second-tier title from esteemed author Patricia Highsmith (The Talented Mr Ripley) is all about making a little niggle go a long way.

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Viggo Mortensen, Oscar Isaac and Kirsten Dunst in a scene from <i>The Two Faces of January</i>.

Though there is unmistakable unease in the air from the outset, first-time filmmaker Hossein Amini very skilfully keeps tension levels rising steadily throughout.

Before you know it, The Two Faces Of January has got you in its grip, and won’t be letting go in a hurry.

The year is 1962. It is summer in Greece, and a wily American expat named Rydal (Oscar Isaac) is turning over a tidy buck as a tour guide.

A downmarket incident at an upmarket hotel forces Chester (Mortensen) and Colette (Dunst) to consider hiding on Crete.

Rydal knows both the local lingo and the current exchange rate, so he makes plenty of extra coin exploiting clueless clients.

A rich married couple from back home just might give Rydal his biggest payday yet.

Chester (Viggo Mortensen) is a seemingly successful investment banker. Feel free to read as much or as little as you like into that word “seemingly”. Money will soon count for nothing in the scenario looming just around the corner.

<i>The Two Faces of January </i>is set in Greece in the 1960s.

Particularly once Rydal gets to know Chester’s beautiful young wife, Colette (Kirsten Dunst).

However, if you think a regulation lovers’ triangle is under construction, The Two Faces Of January will give you plenty of cause to reconsider that position.

In the interests of keeping proceedings spoiler-free, it can only be revealed that a downmarket incident at an upmarket hotel forces Chester and Colette to consider hiding on Crete until the coast is clear.

If they are to have any chance of getting away with anything, they will need the assistance of Rydal.

The uncomfortable interplay between Mortenson, Dunst and Isaac (fresh from his breakout performance in the title role of the Coen brothers cult hit Inside Llewyn Davis) is what really saves the film at crucial moments.

Viggo Mortensen as Chester has something to hide.

Whenever you suspect the whole thing may soon devolve into a half-price Hitchcock affair, the three leads work just enough magic to keep those doubts at bay.

The Two Faces of January (M)

Director: Hossein Amini (feature debut)

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst, Oscar Isaac

Verdict: Three star. No rest in Greece

Originally published as Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen and Oscar Isaac keep the tension rising in thriller The Two Faces of January